The French navy has been branded a ‘taxi service’ after it failed to stop a migrant dinghy headed to Britain that got into trouble in its waters yesterday.
Shocking scenes showed the packed boat – carrying 60 people – struggling to break through the waves as migrants onboard appeared to wave for help.
But after allegedly being told not to intervene by the migrants, French navy safety ship Ridens radioed UK Border Force staff to rush to the dinghy, while continuing to shadow it towards English waters. Eventually, the passengers were taken on board the British Typhoon.
After talks with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, France’s interior minister Bruno Retailleau has vowed to ‘rethink our approach’ to stop inflatables leaving French waters.
Meanwhile, MPs and eyewitnesses have slammed the French navy for simply escorting the vessel rather than stopping it from crossing the median line of the Channel.
One witness said: ‘This was a complete taxi service.’
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘The French should have stopped this boat near their shores and not ushered it into UK waters.
‘By allowing these crossings to continue, it is endangering life – nearly 100 have died crossing in the last year.’
The French Navy had been following a dinghy of 60 migrants since the early hours of the morning yesterday
Migrants are loaded onto a UK Border Force boat on the Channel yesterday morning
Shocking scenes showed the packed dinghy struggling to break through the waves yesterday
Migrants have been losing their lives at alarming rates in recent years when crossing French territory into England.
Around 33 people are believed to have been on board an inflatable dinghy which sank in the early hours of November 24, 2021 – killing at least 27 of its passengers including men, women and children.
The group of migrants left Dunkirk, France, at 10pm the previous night – realising their boat was sinking at 1.30am.
It is said to be the deadliest-ever English Channel crossing on record.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also condemned yesterday’s incident, suggesting too many small boats are crossing the Channel without intervention from France.
‘The French may stop the odd boat in the shallows but overall this will make little difference as these pictures clearly show,’ the politician said.
The French navy explained the migrants did not want assistance after being offered help from their safety vessel.
In a statement translated into English, the force said: ‘In the immediate vicinity of the British SRR (Search and Rescue Region), under the surveillance of the Ridens, a person from the boat made a request for assistance.
A Border Force vessel is seen rescuing a dinghy with around 60 migrants on the English Channel yesterday morning
The group of migrants were transported to the UK Border Force vessel before they were taken to Dover yesterday
The French officials met the UK Border Force nine miles later and handed over the migrants who were brought to Dover
An Irish Ferry behind the boat of migrants as they waited to be rescued
Your browser does not support iframes.
Your browser does not support iframes.
‘After consultation with British resources, the French ship launched its operational drome boat (EDO) to go provide assistance.
‘Having made contact, the EDO personnel noted that the migrants were no longer making a request for assistance.
‘The boat then continued on its route to enter the British SRR under the surveillance of the French ship and its EDO.
‘The operations to recover migrants by British means were then conducted with the support of the EDO of the French ship.’
A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘We do not comment upon operational matters.’
New figures show how the small boat crisis is deepening.
In just the first four days of this month 1,168 migrants have made their way across the Channel, with 326 migrants in six boats making the perilous journey yesterday.
This is the first recording of more than 1,000 arrivals in four days so far this year, according to Home Office data.
The total number migrants this year so far to 3,224 – eight percent higher than the same point last year and also nine per cent up on 2023 where 2,953 migrants crossing the Channel by this point.
