Vile ‘people smuggler' herds migrants onto small boat with a stick as packed dinghy evades French cops AGAIN

The Irish Sun

4 days ago

A SUSPECTED people smuggler was spotted using a stick to herd migrants as more small boats made the perilous journey across the Channel this morning.
Shocking pictures showed the man appearing to shepherd the group as they frantically waded into the water in Gravelines, France - evading French cops once again.
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Groups of migrants frantically waded into the water to be collected by the boats
Credit: Getty
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Traffickers tried to manage the scene using canes
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The shocking scenes unfolded in Gravelines, France, this morning
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The masked organisers then barked instructions and shoved families and children - who had been waiting on the beach - into the rafts
They were seen pushing them onto the packed boats as
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to "smash the gangs" and reduce the number of crossings, but figures released yesterday laid bare the shocking extent of Britain's small boat crisis.
Nearly 20,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in just six months — the highest total ever for the first half of the year.
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Some 19,982 migrants had arrived in the UK after making the dangerous crossing by the end of June, according to the latest Home Office figures.
The crisis is now 48 per cent worse than this time last year and 75 per cent higher than in 2023.
More boats were seen leaving French beaches yesterday, with officials expecting the total to smash through the 20,000 mark.
Another 879 migrants arrived on Monday alone, as
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It was the third biggest daily total so far this year, with smugglers exploiting the heatwave.
The worst day so far this year saw 1,195 arrivals, while the all-time daily record remains 1,305, set in September 2022.
In response, Downing Street has urged voters to be patient, insisting 'it's not simple' to smash the criminal gangs
driving
the surge and warning 'it's going to take time.'
Asked about the record numbers, the Prime Minister's spokesman said the figures were 'clearly unacceptable'.
Migrants dodge tear gas in sprint across beach to reach boats bound for Britain
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: 'Record numbers of young undocumented males have crossed this year thanks to French beaches being the world's most expensive sieve — this is a disaster for the country.
'They are costing us money, making us less safe, and they bring a terrorist threat.
'This will only get worse under the weakest Prime Minister I have ever seen.'
Critics added £500million of taxpayer cash given to France had only turned its beaches into 'the world's most expensive sieve'.
Patrols with jeeps, quad bikes and drones were pictured on the sand earlier this week as smugglers prepared to launch more dinghies.
Officers on the beaches have
It was widely reported last month that French police are stopping a record low number of migrants from crossing, intercepting fewer than 40 per cent of people.
The Tories blasted Labour for tearing up their Rwanda deportation plan and replacing it with 'fantasy'.
Shadow Home Secretary
"This is the worst year on record, and it's become a free-for-all.
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Families and children then piled onto the boats
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Migrants waited on the beach for the small boats to collect them
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Helpless French cops watch on from 4x4s as the small boats sail off
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'We need a removals deterrent so every single illegal immigrant who arrives is removed to a location outside Europe.
"The crossings will then rapidly stop."
Last month, French police were pictured finally getting into the sea to try to stop migrants getting onto a dinghy.
Riot officers dramatically threatened
migrants
with batons and pepper sprayed them in waist-high water during shocking scenes at Gravelines beach
.
But 15 minutes later, riot cops were called back out of the sea and watched on as the same group of migrants boarded the waiting dinghy.
It led to accusations that officers just wanted to "put on a show" after being exposed in the press, while continuing to
fail
to stop any dinghies.
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The Prime Minister has accepted the figures are 'unacceptable'
Credit: Getty