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Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
French police are slashing migrant boats but they're still determined to reach the UK
ECAULT BEACH, France (AP) — Across the English Channel, the white cliffs of the U.K beckon. On fine days, men and women with children in their arms and determination in their eyes can see the shoreline of what they believe will be a promised land as they attempt the perilous crossing clandestinely, ditching belongings to squeeze aboard flimsy inflatable boats that set to sea from northern France. In a flash, on one recent crossing attempt, French police swooped in with knives, wading into the water and slashing at the boat's thin rubber — literally deflating the migrants' hopes and dreams. Some of the men put up dispirited resistance, trying to position themselves — in vain — between the boat and the officers' blades. One splashed water at them, another hurled a shoe. Cries of 'No! No!' rang out. A woman wailed. But the team of three officers, one also holding a pepper-gas canister, lunged at the boat again and again, pitching some of those aboard into the surf as it quickly deflated. The Associated Press obtained video of the police boat-slashing, filmed on a beach near the French port of Boulogne. Growing numbers are getting through France's defenses France's northern coast has long been fortified against invasion, with Nazi bunkers in World War II and pre-French Revolution forts. Now, France is defending beaches with increasing aggression against migrants trying at a record pace to go the other way — out to sea, to the U.K. Under pressure from U.K. authorities, France's government is preparing to give an even freer hand to police patrols that, just last week, were twice filmed slashing boats carrying men, women and children. The video obtained by AP was filmed Monday. Four days later, on Écault beach south of Boulogne, the BBC filmed police wading into the surf and slashing another boat with box cutters, again pitching people into the water as it deflated. An AP journalist who arrived moments later counted multiple lacerations and saw dispirited people, some still wearing life jackets, clambering back up sand dunes toward woods inland. There, AP had spent the previous night with families and men waiting for a crossing, sleeping rough in a makeshift camp without running water or other basic facilities. Exhausted children cried as men sang songs and smoked around a campfire. The French Interior Ministry told AP that police haven't been issued orders to systematically slash boats. But the British government — which is partly funding France's policing efforts — welcomed what it called a 'toughening' of the French approach. The U.K. is also pushing France to go further and let officers intervene against boats in deeper waters, a change the government in Paris is considering. Campaigners for migrant rights and a police union warn that doing so could endanger both migrants and officers. Of the slashing filmed Friday by the BBC, the Interior Ministry said the boat was in distress, overloaded and riding low in the water, with migrants 'trying to climb aboard from the back, risking being caught by the propeller.' 'The gendarmes, in water up to their knees, intervened to rescue people in danger, pull the boat to shore and neutralize it,' the ministry said. For migrants, boat-slashing is infuriating Around the campfire, the men stared into the flames and ruminated. Deniz, a Kurd with an infectious laugh and a deep singing voice, wanted more than anything to cross the channel in time to celebrate his 44th birthday in August with his 6-year-old daughter, Eden, who lives with her mother in the U.K. Like nearly all the migrating people that AP interviewed, surviving in camps that police frequently dismantle, Deniz didn't want to give his full name. Refused a short-stay U.K. visa, Deniz said he had no other option than the sea route, but four attempts ended with police wrecking the boats. He said that on one of those occasions, his group of around 40 people begged an officer patrolling alone to turn a blind eye and let them take to sea. 'He said, 'No,' nobody going to stop him. We could stop him, but we didn't want, you know, to hurt him or we didn't want to argue with him,' Deniz said. 'We just let him, and he cut it with a knife.' He believes that U.K. funding of French policing is turning officers into zealots. 'I say, 'Because of the money, you are not France soldiers, you're not France police. You are the English dogs now,' he said. The cat-and-mouse between migrants and police The coastal battle between police and migrants never lets up, no matter the hour or weather. Drones and aircraft watch the beaches and gendarmes patrol them aboard buggies and on foot. On Écault beach, a WWII gun emplacement serves as their lookout post. Inland waterways have been sealed off with razor wire and floating barriers to prevent launches of so-called 'taxi boats.' They motor to offshore pickup points, where waiting migrants then wade into the sea and climb aboard, children in their arms and on their shoulders. AP saw a 6 a.m. pickup Friday on Hardelot beach south of Boulogne. Many dozens of people squeezed aboard, straddling the sausage-like inflated sides — one foot in the sea, the other in the boat. It left about a half-dozen people on the beach, some in the water, apparently because there was no more room. Gendarmes on the beach watched it motor slowly away. Campaigners who work with migrants fear that allowing police to intervene against boats farther offshore will panic those aboard, risking casualties. French officials are examining the possibility of police interventions up to 300 meters (980 feet) from the water's edge. 'All that will happen is that people will take greater and greater risks,' said Diane Leon, who coordinates aid efforts for the group Médecins du Monde along the coast. 'The police entering the water — this was something that, until now, we saw only rarely. But for us, it raises fears of panic during boarding or of boats arriving farther and farther out, forcing people to swim to reach the taxi boats.' In an AP interview, police union official Régis Debut voiced concerns about potential legal ramifications for officers if people drown during police attempts to stop offshore departures. He said officers weighed down by equipment could also drown. 'Our colleagues don't want to cross 300 meters to intercept the small boats. Because, in fact, we're not trained for that,' said Debut, of the union UNSA Police. 'You also need to have the proper equipment. You can't carry out an arrest wearing combat boots, a police uniform and the bullet-proof vest. So the whole process needs to be reconsidered.' Migrants say crossings are atrocious but worth the risk Around the campfire, men laughed off the risks of the crossings that French authorities say claimed nearly 80 lives last year. They had nothing left to lose and the channel was just one more hardship after tortuous journeys to France filled with difficulties and misery, they said. 'We will never give up,' Deniz said. According to U.K. government figures, more than 20,000 people made the crossing in the first six months of this year, up by about 50% from the same period in 2024, and potentially on course toward a new annual record. About 37,000 people were detected crossing in 2024, the second-highest annual figure after 46,000 in 2022. Qassim, a 26-year-old Palestinian, messaged AP after crossing last week with his wife and their daughters, aged 6 and 4. The boat labored through waves for eight hours, he said. 'Everyone was praying,' he wrote. 'We were patient and endured and saw death. The children were crying and screaming.' 'Now we feel comfortable, safe, and stable. We are starting a new page,' he wrote. 'We will do our best to protect our children and ourselves and to make up for the difficult years we have been exposed to.' ___ Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP's global migration coverage at
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Everything we know about Texas flooding victims: Girl ‘living her best life' at camp and man who saved his family
Devastating floods that swept Central Texas over the weekend have killed at least 51 people, including 15 children. Unexpected torrential downpours struck the region on Friday evening, causing the Guadalupe River to rapidly rise and flood the surrounding area. The flooding destroyed homes, swept away vehicles and devastated Camp Mystic, an all-girls summer camp situated on the banks of the river. There are still 27 children missing from the camp as of Saturday afternoon. The identities of the victims are still being determined and released to the public. Here's what we know about the victims so far. Eight-year-old Renee Smajstrla was at Camp Mystic, the all-girls summer camp near the Guadalupe River, her uncle confirmed in a Facebook post. Smajstrla was one of the 27 campers unaccounted for after the devastating floods, Shawn Salta said in the post. 'Renee has been found and while not the outcome we prayed for, the social media outreach likely assisted the first responders in helping to identify her so quickly,' Salta wrote. 'We are thankful she was with her friends and having the time of her life, as evidenced by this picture from yesterday. She will forever be living her best life at Camp Mystic.' Sarah Marsh, an eight-year-old girl from Mountain Brook, Alabama, was killed in the devastating floods while at Camp Mystic. Debbie Ford Marsh, the grandmother of Sarah, confirmed the young girl's death in a now-private Facebook post. 'We will always feel blessed to have had this beautiful spunky ray of light in our lives,' Marsh wrote. 'She will live on in our hearts forever!' Janie Hunt, a nine-year-old Camp Mystic camper, died in the catastrophic flooding, her mother told CNN. Nine-year-old Lila Bonner of Dallas died in the floods while attending Camp Mystic. 'In the midst of our unimaginable grief, we ask for privacy and are unable to confirm any details at this time. We ache with all who loved her,' the Bonner family said in a statement to NBC5. Jane Ragsdale, the director of Heart O' the Hills camp in Kerr County, is among the victims killed in the floods, a close friend confirmed on Facebook. 'Jane was more than the beloved Director of Heart O' the Hills. She was a legend in the camp community shaping generations of campers, staff, and leaders through her unwavering belief in the power of camp to change lives,' Dani Shaw wrote on Facebook. 'She modeled the highest standards of care, character, and connection.' Julian Ryan, 27, died in the floods while saving his family from the rushing water, according to a GoFundMe launched to support his family. 'Julian, his fiancé, kids, and mother were awakened when water came rushing into their home,' the GoFundMe reads. 'Julian jumped into action to protect and save his family and get them to safety.' 'Julian gave his life for his family, passing as a true hero,' the GoFundMe continues. 'While his family is eternally grateful for his sacrifice, they are shattered by their loss.' Katheryn Eads died in the floods, while her husband Brian survived, her family told The Washington Post. She previously worked at Olive Branch Counseling and Training. 'Katheryn was a hope and a light to all who knew her,' the company's owner told the Post. 'A daughter, a wife, a mother, grandmother, friend and colleague. She was a stellar counselor and professor and she simply just made everything better. Katheryn was changing lives.' Two sisters — 13-year-old Blair and 11-year-old Brooke — were killed by the floods in Kerr County, their father told CNN on Saturday night. Harber described Blair as 'a gifted student' who had 'a generous, kind heart.' Harber said that Brooke was 'like a light in any room, people gravitated to her and she made them laugh and enjoy the moment.' The sisters were not attending Camp Mystic, their father added.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Canadian mother reportedly detained in the U.S. as Trump-voting husband feels 'totally blindsided'
A Canadian woman has been detained in the U.S. during her green card interview for being in the U.S. illegally, California-based KGTV reported Thursday. Cynthia Olivera's green card interview was on June 13 in California. As she went into the interview room, her husband, Francisco Olivera waited outside. 'We feel totally blindsided. I want my vote back,' Francisco told KGTV after Cynthia was detained. Francisco is a U.S. citizen and self-identified Trump voter. The U.S. president's promises to deport dangerous criminals appealed to the couple but they didn't think Cynthia's lack of legal U.S. status would be a problem — no criminal charges were found under Cynthia's name by KGTV. 'The U.S. is my country,' Cynthia told KGTV from an immigration detention centre in El Paso, Texas. 'That's where I met my husband. That's where I went to high school, junior high, elementary. That's where I had my kids,' she continued. The 45-year-old was born in Canada and taken to the U.S. by her parents when she was 10 years old. In 1999, when Cynthia was 19 years old, U.S. border officials determined she was living in the country without a legal status and an order was obtained to deport her. After being removed, Cynthia returned within a few months to the U.S. by driving to San Diego from Mexico, The Guardian reports. 'They didn't ask me for my citizenship – they didn't do nothing. They just waved me in,' Cynthia told KGTV. For the next 25 years, Cynthia is reported to have worked in Los Angeles where she paid her taxes and provided for her family. She has three children who were born in the U.S. As she navigated the onerous task of obtaining a green card, she was granted a permit by the Biden administration in 2024 that allowed her to work legally in the U.S. Meanwhile, the Trump administration in an emailed statement referred to Cynthia as an 'illegal alien from Canada,' The Guardian reports. In a statement to Newsweek, the spokesperson said Cynthia was 'previously deported and chose to ignore our law and again illegally entered the country.' The statement further noted that 're-entering the U.S. without permission after being deported is a felony, and it said Olivera would remain in Ice's custody pending removal to Canada,' Newsweek reports. Cynthia reportedly told officials that the couple can pay for her to fly to Canada, where she would live with a cousin in Mississauga, Ontario. 'Despite offering to pay for her own flight back to Canada and waive her rights to a bond hearing, she remains locked up at an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas,' reads a petition on The Canadian government told KGTV that it is aware of Cynthia's case but cannot intervene because 'every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders,' Guardian reports. U.K. singer arrested in U.S. after being denied entry into Canada. She overstayed her visa by 26 years Canadian man detained by ICE dies in custody in Miami Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
