A group of asylum seekers, including a mother, a father, and young children, unsuccessfully attempted to resist the currents and wade out to the small boat as it departed, according to a report.
French border police allegedly watched on as migrants struggled to get on a dinghy around 15 miles east of Calais, according to a report. A group of asylum seekers, including a mother, a father, and young children, unsuccessfully attempted to resist the currents and wade out to the small boat as it departed.
Ten officers reportedly watched it unfold with binoculars from the shore, wearing riot helmets and some carrying pepper spray and shields. When asked why they didn’t get involved given how perilous the situation was, one reportedly said: “It’s difficult.”One of the officers was said to have had an eye on the vessel while four colleagues stood behind him chatting, with one filming events unfolding on his phone at one stage.
BBC News reports that French law prevents police from intervening when migrants are in the water, meaning people are increasingly waiting in the surf until the boat arrives before attempting to board, a loophole which criminal gangs are exploiting.
The family were among a group of around 10 that didn’t manage to clamber on and returned in silence to the beach in Gravelines, northern France, The Sun reports.
The outlet reports that the dinghy left shore further up the coast just before 5 am and arrived to pick up the migrants, with a crowd bolting for the boat from the sand dunes.
A large group of men were reportedly the first to get aboard, joined by women and families with children.
One of the men reportedly seemed to be barely able to keep his head above water as he scrambled to get aboard, while others clung to each other, fighting to keep their children out of the surf.
According to the newspaper, the boat appeared to be overloaded at one stage, either due to an engine issue or it not being powerful enough to propel it.
However, it eventually made it away from the shore.
A suspected smuggler allegedly steered the boat out before getting out and returning to shore, before taking the group that didn’t make it aboard back to their makeshift camp. However, by this time, police had already left the scene, The Sun claims.
Another vessel was spotted leaving shore further down the coast, and was followed by a French ship. Both migrant vessels were reportedly carrying an estimated 150 migrants in total.
People in life jackets were later pictured being brought ashore in Dover after a UK Border Force patrol intercepted their vessel, though it’s not clear if it was the same asylum seekers The Sun reported seeing.
France’s National Directorate of Border Police (DNPAF) and the French Embassy in the UK have been approached for comment via email.
UK Government figures suggest that a record 14,812 people arrived in the UK via small boats in the first five months of the year.
Last year, the number of arrivals did not reach top 14,000 until July 9, by which time there were 14,058, as per Sky News.