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Telegraph
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The French handed the migrants over – then asked for their life jackets back
In a calm sea under clear blue skies, a French navy warship on Thursday escorted a dinghy crammed with nearly 80 migrants to the Channel's midpoint for a handover with UK Border Force. But not before demanding their life jackets back from the asylum seekers to reuse them on the next trip. The 'rescue' of the 78 migrants took little more than 30 minutes. It was almost as if it was routine, despite the dangers of crossing one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world with powerful tidal currents. Of the 78 migrants who made it, 74 were men. There was just one woman on board with three children. No more than 300 yards away, on a fishing boat bobbing in the sun-specked water, was Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, marking the day when Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, announced their new deal to halt the crossings, in his own pointed political way. 'This is a classic day on the English Channel over the past five years when the sea is calm,' he said. 'We are witnessing a crime but everyone seems happy. 'The French navy is happy. Border Force is happy. And what we saw was how calm and controlled it was, almost as if the two governments have agreed it is normal practice and can continue.' The maritime operation began before dawn, when the French warship spotted the migrants' flimsy overloaded dinghy with its balsa wood bottom as it left Wissant beach on the northern French coast. For the next 12 miles, the naval vessel escorted the boat ready for the migrants' transfer to Hurricane, the Border Force cutter. At a steady two to three knots, the boat made its slow progress through the calm but cold waters to the Channel's midpoint by 7.30am before appearing to lose power. At that point, a ribbed rig with sailors on board sped from the warship across the sea to recover the 40 life jackets earlier handed to the migrants by the French. Observers said it was the first time they had seen life jackets recovered before the migrants had been towed and fully embarked on Hurricane. There was, however, no shortage of rescue backup with two ribbed British rigs accompanying the Border Force cutter. Six vessels were involved in the handover, accompanied by a drone and at one point a helicopter, at a cost of tens of thousands of pounds. The sixth vessel was a large tug-like offshore supply boat with a winch, which lifted the empty dripping dinghy from the water to be taken back to Dover for forensic examination and storage. Andy King, the master of Louise Jane, a fishing boat that supports cross-Channel swimmers, claimed migrants were sometimes abusive, having branded his crew 'fat English bastards' and flicking V-signs to warn them off before their rescue. Once in the safety of Border Force, the migrants often celebrated with selfies, he said. Days suitable for cross-Channel swims correspond to good weather 'red days' for crossings. As a result, French authorities now demand Mr King gives them 24 hours' notice of any swim attempt, and the right to cancel it if there are too many migrants. They say they do not have enough rescue capacity if his swimmer got into trouble. He said it was putting his livelihood at risk. A record 20,600 migrants have crossed the Channel so far in 2025, up 50 per cent on last year and the highest six month total since the first arrivals in 2018. Nearly 44,000 migrants have arrived since Labour came into power in July last year. UK authorities were given notice by the French of 18 attempted crossings on Thursday morning five of which, each packed with up to 90 migrants, had evaded police. Officers are adopting more aggressive interventions at sea for the first time, including the use of knives to puncture the dinghies. But Mr Farage, who first highlighted the crisis by going out on the Channel over five years ago, said: 'Nine years ago, the country voted decisively to take back control of its borders, to have an immigration policy that meant we could choose who came here. 'The most blatant betrayal of that is what you've just witnessed with me in the Channel: one vessel, 74 young undocumented males about whose history we know nothing entering the UK.' In an interview with The Telegraph, he urged Sir Keir to declare a national security emergency to allow the Government to suspend the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and Refugee Convention. This, he said, would then enable ministers to intern all illegal migrants in secure, converted former military camps. 'I would definitely intern everybody that arrives on the basis that not all, but some of them, will be dangerous. In recent weeks, we've seen suspected terrorists who came via Channel arrested. We've had the Casey report telling us child sexual grooming is carried on by people like this,' said Mr Farage. 'There might be some people here who are coming here from horrible backgrounds, but the first job of the Government is to protect the nation. The only way you stop this is by making people know that it's not worth paying the trafficker out because you will be deported. 'And that's what Rwanda was about. The problem is it couldn't work because of Strasbourg courts, British courts, and the incorporation of ECHR into British law. It was never going to be a goer but the thinking behind it was right.' One of his first acts, if he became Prime Minister – as the polls suggest is a possibility – would be to quit the ECHR. He declined to back Donald Trump style mass deportations, but said there would be 'significant' numbers and not just to 'safe' countries but also nations like Afghanistan. As a 'last stop' he said he was prepared to bring in the Navy to forcibly return migrants at sea to France. 'If we can't solve this through other means, in the end the Royal Marines will have to take the boats back to France,' he said. 'Under the Law of the Sea, if lives are in danger, you can take them back to the safest place. It would be the 'last stop' measure. It would cause a diplomatic incident, as it did with the Australians in 2012 but it does work.' Mr Farage was dismissive of the Sir Keir and Mr Macron's proposed 'one in, one out' deal if, as expected, it was initially only going to see 50 Channel migrants a week returned to France each week, equivalent to 2,600 or one in 17 of the 44,000 who have arrived since Labour won the election. 'If the numbers that are being quoted are right, that would amount to a five per cent chance of being sent back in France. Well, if I've got a 95 per cent chance of success, I'll keep trying,' he said. 'And I am not sure even if that [one in, one out] scheme would survive if it was taken to court under the ECHR.' Mr Farage saved his most direct criticism, however, for the French. 'I was mackerel fishing earlier, so it seems that increasingly the fish that swim within our 12 mile zone are French, and all the illegal migrants that come are ours,' he said. 'We've given them fish for a further 12 years, we've paid them £800 million, we can see right now behind us, a French naval vessel is escorting them in, this is ridiculous. We should be demanding a refund.'
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Nigel Farage takes to the Channel to witness the French Navy hand over an overcrowded dinghy of migrants to be ferried to Britain in a Border Force vessel
It is 7.45am in the middle of the English Channel and Nigel Farage has found what he came looking for. Two hundred yards away a grossly overcrowded dinghy is pulled up alongside the smart-looking Border Force cutter Hurricane, about to unload its contingent of 78 migrants who left from a French beach a few hours earlier. We are so close that the shouts of Border Force officials can be heard, apparently telling the migrants not to trample over each other as they scramble towards the Union Jack on the side of a vessel which is likely to become a ticket to a new life in the UK. For the previous 90 minutes we had watched as a French Naval vessel escorted the craft to the edge of British territorial waters for what is known in the trade as a 'handover'. As the dinghy moved closer it was possible to see just how packed it was. Migrants sat on the edge each side with one foot dangling in the water. On board there was barely a square inch of room. As the craft approached the Hurricane, the French Navy ship sent a message saying it wanted to retrieve the 40 life jackets it had handed to the migrants on the way out. Normally they are sent back from Dover. But officials on both sides were anticipating a very busy day of crossings and the French wanted them back quickly, so a rigid inflatable was sent out to collect them while the migrant boats was still in the water. It is entirely possible they will be worn by another set of migrants by the end of today. We have witnessed what many would consider to be a crime, yet both the French and British authorities appear only too happy to help. In fact the French, in particular, are far more put out by our presence, observing from a hired fishing boat, than they are by yet another huge contingent of people crossing the Channel illegally. At one point the warnings become so aggressive that our captain is worried we might be boarded. Mr Farage describes the shocking scene as a 'classic demonstration of what is happening on every good weather day in the Channel'. 'The sheer cost and scale of it and the level of co-operation between the French and British governments is outrageous,' he says. 'What is happening – what we have seen this morning – is a crime, yet everyone seems happy. The French have got their lifejackets back so they're happy. The Border Force are happy. And the 78 people on board the dinghy are happy because they're now headed for a comfy life at our expense. 'We have given the French £800million since 2014 to deal with this and yet they are effectively aiding and abetting criminal gangs.' If the polls are right, Mr Farage is on course to be Britain's next prime minister. He would be within his rights to spend the day holed up in his office preparing a response to new migrant deal being announced later by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron. Instead, he has chosen to come and see the problem first-hand – something he has been doing for the last five years. On the journey out of Dover he had warned we might see nothing – after all, if there was ever a day when the French and British authorities might be expected to make an effort to stop the boats it was surely when the Prime Minister and President were due to hold a high-level summit on the issue. Surely they would not allow the conference to play out against another embarrassing day of crossings? He need not have worried. It was a perfect day for crossing – warm, calm and, most importantly, still – what the authorities now term a 'red day' because of the high risk of small boat crossings. Summit or no summit, it was business as usual on the Channel. Mr Farage says the smugglers' boats have become bigger, less seaworthy and more crowded since he first watched them coming ashore at Dungeness, in Kent. Meanwhile, the British and French authorities have developed a well-tuned and expensive routine for chaperoning the migrants across – a process that helps ensure their safety but which also helps shield their arrival from the public eye by making sure they are never filmed scrambling ashore. Mr Farage believes the migrants themselves have become 'more dangerous' – to the point where he believes it is time for the government to take emergency powers to deal with the crisis. He points to reports that three Iranians suspected of involvement in a plot to blow up the Israeli Embassy and warnings by Whitehall troubleshooter Dame Louise Casey that some asylum seekers are being investigated for alleged grooming gang activity as evidence that the Channel crisis is no longer just a border security issue, but also a criminal justice matter. 'I have been trying to wake people up about this for years,' he says. 'I warned there would be an invasion unless there was a proper deterrent and that is what we are seeing. 'We have just seen 78 people cross; 74 are men and we have no idea who they are. Some of them may be terrorists, they may commit sexual offences, we just don't know. What we do know is they are going to be put up at a hotel at our expense and they will probably be working in the gig economy within 48 hours. We just cannot allow that.' Warming to his theme, he goes on: 'I now genuinely believe this is a national security emergency. If Starmer declared a state of emergency – he won't, but he should – he would not have to abide by the ECHR or UN conventions and we could deal with this properly 'Everyone on that boat should not be allowed to walk our streets tomorrow. They should be interned in an old army camp or wherever.' He makes clear that he would be prepared to be significantly tougher, including pulling out of international treaties to allow the immediate deportation of all Channel migrants. If that were to fail, even more drastic methods might be on the cards. 'We are getting close to the point where we are just going to have to tow them back to France. It will cause a huge fuss and it would be a last resort, but it may be the Royal Marines are going to have to get involved,' he says. 'We have to stop this.' In between tending his fishing rod, with which he hauls in a bucketful of shimmering mackerel, Mr Farage is scathing about the latest UK-France effort to stop the boats. The idea of a 'one in, one out' returns deal is 'farcical', he says. 'The UK courts probably won't allow it, but even if they did It will only ever be a small percentage and if I'm paying 3,000 euros to cross the Channel and I have a 95 per cent chance of staying then I am going to carry on taking that chance. It is humiliating that Starmer is even considering it.' Polls routinely show the public are angry about the small boats crisis. It is hard to escape the conclusion they would be angrier still if they knew the true cost – and if they could see the cosy way in which the French and British authorities are allowing the dangerous and illegal practice to thrive. No wonder they want to conduct the handover at sea, far away from prying eyes.
Metro
08-07-2025
- Metro
Apocalyptic wildfire 'at gates of Marseille' with smoke blocking out sun
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A fast-moving wildfire is approaching France's second biggest city Marseille and has closed the city's airport while residents have been advised to stay indoors. Photos show the city blanketed by thick clouds of smoke from the wildfire that is being driven by winds of up to 70 kilometres an hour. Around 168 firefighters are tackling the blaze of around 30 hectares near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille. People living in the 16th arrondissement of the city have been told to 'remain confined' as the fire nears the city. Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan wrote on X: 'The violent fire declared in Pennes-Mirabeau is now at the gates of Marseille. 'I ask all Marseillais to be extremely vigilant and to limit their movements as much as possible to make way for emergency services, particularly in the north of the city. 'Residents of the 16th arrondissement are requested to remain confined.' He added that the French Navy would form part of the response to the spread of the wildfire. Monique Baillard, a resident of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, described the scene as 'very striking' and 'apocalyptic even'. A spokesperson for Marseille Airport confirmed that flights had not been taking off or landing since around midday. Some flights have been diverted to cities like Nice, Nimes and other regional airports. It is not yet known when the airport will reopen. Train lines were also suspended heading north and west from Marseille because of a fire near the tracks, the SNCF train operator said. Another wildfire that started near Narbonne, in southwestern France, was still active on Monday, fanned by winds of 60 kilometres per hour, causing around 2,000 hectares to burn. Destructive wildfires have already caused havoc in the Mediterranean this summer. More Trending More than 1,500 people were evacuated from their homes and hotels on the Greek island of Crete last week. Evacuations were ordered at three sites outside the port of Ierapetra on the island's south coast while 230 firefighters battled the flames. Elsewhere in Europe, extreme heat has been deadly. A ten-year-old American girl collapsed and died during a visit to the Palace of Versailles in France last week. Spain has also faced temperatures in the low 40s, and has also experienced wildfires in multiple places across the country. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: How the €1 European house scheme actually works MORE: Experts warn London is at risk of flash flooding: 'It doesn't bear thinking about' MORE: Yorkshire Water hosepipe ban may be in place until winter after incredibly dry spring
Sky News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Marseille wildfire live: Flames 'at the gates' of city as airport closed and people told to stay indoors
Wildfire 'at the gates' of Marseille, mayor warns A wildfire is "at the gates" of Marseille after it caused flights to be suspended at an airport around 15 miles away, the city's mayor has warned. A local fire service earlier said 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze of around 30 hectares near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, north of the city. Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan has now warned people in the 16th arrondissement of the city to "remain confined" as the blaze approaches. He added that the French Navy would form part of the response to the blaze. Fire engines and helicopters have so far been used in the response to the fire.
Sky News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Wildfire 'at the gates' of Marseille as mayor warns people to stay inside
A wildfire is "at the gates" of Marseille after it caused flights to be suspended at an airport around 15 miles away, the city's mayor has warned. A local fire service earlier said 168 firefighters had been deployed to fight the blaze of around 30 hectares near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille. The fire caused flights to be suspended at Marseille Provence Airport. It came before Marseille Mayor Benoit Payan warned people in the 16th arrondissement of the city to "remain confined" as the blaze approaches France's second most populated city. He wrote on X: "The violent fire declared in Pennes-Mirabeau is now at the gates of Marseille. "I ask all Marseillais to be extremely vigilant and to limit their movements as much as possible to make way for emergency services, particularly in the north of the city. "Residents of the 16th arrondissement are requested to remain confined." He added that the French Navy would form part of the response to the blaze. Fire engines and helicopters have so far been used in the response to the fire. Residents have been urged to keep streets clear to avoid hindering emergency services. There have been no reports of casualties. Some residents were urged to close shutters, doors and stay inside. The spokesperson for Marseille airport said planes had not been taking off or landing since around midday and some flights had been diverted to Nice, Nimes and other regional airports. It was unclear when the airport would reopen. Please refresh the page for the latest version.
