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UK Endorses French Boat-Slashing Tactics as Police Inaction Linked to Migrant Death - Middle East Business News and Information
A Syrian man drowned off the coast of northern France while French officers reportedly failed to respond, according to a year-long investigation
As the UK publicly backs French police efforts to intercept small boats crossing the Channel — including cutting them to disable passage — new findings suggest such enforcement may come at a fatal cost.
An investigation by The New Arab , conducted in partnership with French outlet Disclose , NGO Index , and Italian research body Liminal , has uncovered details surrounding the death of Jumaa al-Hasan, a 27-year-old Syrian man who drowned during the night of 2–3 March 2024 near the northern French coast.
Al-Hasan died during an attempted interception by French police. Witness accounts claim officers were stationed nearby on shore and were repeatedly alerted by others on the scene, but made no attempt to intervene. Emergency response was limited, with the fire brigade conducting only a short search following the incident.
Using 3D digital reconstruction to analyse the conditions that night, the investigation raises concerns about how Channel crossings are policed and whether sufficient attention is given to the safety of those at sea. It also questions the direction of ongoing official investigations, which appear focused on smuggling networks rather than examining state responsibility.
The release of the findings comes as President Emmanuel Macron visits London, and amid UK announcements of closer cooperation with French authorities to block crossings. The approach has drawn criticism from human rights organisations who argue that methods such as slashing boat tubes risk more fatalities.
Following the report, the French NGO Utopia56 announced plans to file a formal legal intervention, requesting that courts assess the actions of both police and firefighters involved in the incident as part of the ongoing judicial process.
Read the full investigation at:
