Shocking Footage Shows What Illegal Migrants Did to French Police Officers as They Tried to Stop Them From Launching a Boat to the UK
Migrants attacked French police with objects as officers moved in to stop a boat from launching from a French beach. The incident was captured on video and has raised fresh questions about Britain’s £662 million deal with France to tackle small boat crossings.
The Home Office footage shows migrants wearing life jackets throwing objects at French officers as they tried to keep police away from a large inflatable boat.
French police responded by using pepper spray and pushing the group back from the boat. Officers then appeared to use a knife to cut the inflatable boat, bringing the attempted Channel crossing to an end.
The footage was released as French authorities try to show that the new UK-France agreement is helping to stop migrant boats from leaving the French coast. Under the agreement, French police have increased their efforts to prevent crossings.
French authorities say they stopped 185 “crossing events” during the three months after the deal was signed. This accounts for around 61 per cent of attempted crossings. However, the number is only 5 per cent higher than the same period last year, and the proportion stopped was lower than in the three months before the agreement.
At the same time, around 130 boats managed to avoid French patrols and crossed the Channel, carrying about 8,916 migrants to Britain.
The French definition of a “crossing event” covers more than simply stopping a boat. It can include stopping a launch, taking away boats, engines or life jackets, and arresting people suspected of being involved in people smuggling.
Since the agreement was signed in April, more police officers have been sent to parts of the French coast. This includes a 50-member riot-control unit. The Home Office says officers have carried out operations both on beaches and at sea.
However, shadow home secretary Chris Philp has questioned whether the video shows a major change in the way France is dealing with the small boat crossings.
Mr Philp said he had visited beaches in northern France and claimed he had seen and heard evidence that French police were not doing enough to stop the boats. He said the decision to slash the inflatable boat was different from what he had previously seen and could be a sign of a change in policy.
He also warned that one incident should not be seen as proof that the situation has changed completely. He said similar action had been seen once before, shortly before a meeting between Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The latest confrontation comes as people-smuggling gangs appear to be changing their methods. Instead of using smaller boats, some gangs are putting much larger numbers of migrants onto individual vessels.
Earlier this month, a record 230 people reportedly crossed the Channel on one boat. The large inflatable vessel carried more people than a Boeing 737.
French rescue teams have also reported seeing more boats measuring around 15 metres long. Jean-Marc Lamblin, director of France’s equivalent of the RNLI, said rescue teams had recently seen boats carrying more than 150 people and warned that the numbers could continue to rise.
Dramatic new footage: French police under attack on northern beach as they slash migrant dinghy to halt Channel launch
Migrants in life jackets hurl objects at French police racing in to stop their inflatable dinghy launching for Britain. Officers hit back with Pava spray, then… pic.twitter.com/XloSCukojz— J Stewart (@triffic_stuff_) August 21, 2026
The situation has increased calls for tougher action against Channel crossings. Reform UK has proposed using the Royal Navy to intercept migrant boats and return passengers to France or Belgium. French authorities have rejected the idea, saying it could breach French sovereignty as well as maritime and international law.
The Labour government says the UK-France agreement is already helping to disrupt people-smuggling gangs. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the deal was stopping crossings before they happened, while also targeting the criminal gangs involved and taking away their equipment.
