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The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
France's reported new tactic to stop small boats
French police have reportedly begun slashing small boats with knives in shallow waters off the French coast to deter Channel crossings. Downing Street and the home secretary have welcomed these new tactics, stating they mark a "significant moment" and will have a "major impact" on smuggling gangs. The home secretary called for the prosecution of all individuals arriving in the UK on a small boat if a child has died during the crossing, suggesting that even boarding an overcrowded vessel could lead to charges. These developments follow a record number of Channel crossings in small boats during the first six months of this year. Charity Project Play warns that border securitisation policies are making conditions "more dangerous" for children, noting that French police interventions in shallow waters are not new and are increasing.
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
PM's Europe ‘reset' has delivered change in French tactics on small boats: No 10
Number 10 said reports French police officers had used knives to puncture a boat in waters off the French coast for the first time were a 'significant moment' that could have 'a major impact' on smuggling gangs. A spokesman said: 'We welcome action from French law enforcement to take action in shallow waters, and what you have seen in recent weeks is a toughening of their approach.' The Government has repeatedly pushed for French authorities to do more to prevent boats leaving the shore, including changing existing rules to allow police officers to intervene when dinghies are in the water. Those changes have not yet come into effect, but reports on Friday suggested tougher action was already being taken. French rules have previously prevented police officers from intervening when people attempt to board small boats in the Channel (Gareth Fuller/PA) Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she welcomed the reports, adding she had been 'working very closely with the French interior minister' to ensure the rules were changed 'as swiftly as possible'. Downing Street attributed the change in stance from French law enforcement was thanks to the Prime Minister's 'reset' in relations with Europe, as he has looked to heal the wounds caused by the Brexit years. The spokesman said: 'No government has been able to get this level of co-operation with the French. That is important. 'We are looking to see France change its maritime tactics, and that is down to the Prime Minister's efforts to reset our relationship across Europe.' But a charity operating in northern France told the PA news agency that French police had already been intervening in crossing attempts in shallow waters despite the new rules not yet being in place. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she had been working closely with her French counterpart, Bruno Retailleau, to change French rules 'as swiftly as possible' (Henry Nicholls/PA) Kate O'Neill, advocacy coordinator at Project Play, said: 'This is not a new tactic … it's something that has been happening for a long time in Calais and surrounding areas.' She also warned it was a 'dangerous' tactic as children were 'often in the middle of the boats'. In its manifesto last year, Labour promised to 'smash the gangs' smuggling people across the Channel in small boats. But a year into Sir Keir's premiership, the number of people making the journey has increased to record levels. Some 20,600 people have made the journey so far this year, up 52% on the same period in 2024. Downing Street acknowledged that the numbers 'must come down', but could not guarantee that they would in the next year. On Friday, Ms Cooper said part of the reason for the increase in crossings was a rise in the number of people being crammed onto each boat. She suggested that all migrants who arrive on an overcrowded boat where a child has died should face prosecution. Ms Cooper told the BBC's Today programme it was 'totally appalling' that children were being 'crushed to death on these overcrowded boats, and yet the boat still continues to the UK'. Mr Macron is to visit the UK (Suzanne Plunkett/PA) The Government has already included a new offence of 'endangering life at sea' in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently making its way through Parliament. Ms Cooper has previously said this would allow the authorities to act against people 'involved in behaviour that puts others at risk of serious injury or death, such as physical aggression, intimidation, or rejecting rescue attempts'. But on Friday, she appeared to go further by suggesting even getting on an overcrowded boat could result in prosecution. She said: 'If you've got a boat where we've seen all of those people all climb on board that boat, they are putting everybody else's lives at risk.' Some 15 children are reported to have died while attempting the crossing in 2024, and Ms O'Neill told PA police tactics were making the situation more dangerous. During a series of broadcast interviews, Ms Cooper also declined to confirm reports the UK was looking at a 'one in, one out' policy that would see people who had crossed the Channel returned to Europe in exchange for asylum seekers with connections to Britain. Asked about the policy, she would only tell Sky News that ministers were 'looking at a range of different issues' and 'different ways of doing returns'. Sir Keir is expected to hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron, at which efforts to tackle small boat crossings are likely to be high on the agenda.
Western Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
PM's Europe ‘reset' has delivered change in French tactics on small boats: No 10
Number 10 said reports French police officers had used knives to puncture a boat in waters off the French coast for the first time were a 'significant moment' that could have 'a major impact' on smuggling gangs. A spokesman said: 'We welcome action from French law enforcement to take action in shallow waters, and what you have seen in recent weeks is a toughening of their approach.' The Government has repeatedly pushed for French authorities to do more to prevent boats leaving the shore, including changing existing rules to allow police officers to intervene when dinghies are in the water. Those changes have not yet come into effect, but reports on Friday suggested tougher action was already being taken. French rules have previously prevented police officers from intervening when people attempt to board small boats in the Channel (Gareth Fuller/PA) Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she welcomed the reports, adding she had been 'working very closely with the French interior minister' to ensure the rules were changed 'as swiftly as possible'. Downing Street attributed the change in stance from French law enforcement was thanks to the Prime Minister's 'reset' in relations with Europe, as he has looked to heal the wounds caused by the Brexit years. The spokesman said: 'No government has been able to get this level of co-operation with the French. That is important. 'We are looking to see France change its maritime tactics, and that is down to the Prime Minister's efforts to reset our relationship across Europe.' But a charity operating in northern France told the PA news agency that French police had already been intervening in crossing attempts in shallow waters despite the new rules not yet being in place. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she had been working closely with her French counterpart, Bruno Retailleau, to change French rules 'as swiftly as possible' (Henry Nicholls/PA) Kate O'Neill, advocacy coordinator at Project Play, said: 'This is not a new tactic … it's something that has been happening for a long time in Calais and surrounding areas.' She also warned it was a 'dangerous' tactic as children were 'often in the middle of the boats'. In its manifesto last year, Labour promised to 'smash the gangs' smuggling people across the Channel in small boats. But a year into Sir Keir's premiership, the number of people making the journey has increased to record levels. Some 20,600 people have made the journey so far this year, up 52% on the same period in 2024. Downing Street acknowledged that the numbers 'must come down', but could not guarantee that they would in the next year. On Friday, Ms Cooper said part of the reason for the increase in crossings was a rise in the number of people being crammed onto each boat. She suggested that all migrants who arrive on an overcrowded boat where a child has died should face prosecution. Ms Cooper told the BBC's Today programme it was 'totally appalling' that children were being 'crushed to death on these overcrowded boats, and yet the boat still continues to the UK'. Mr Macron is to visit the UK (Suzanne Plunkett/PA) The Government has already included a new offence of 'endangering life at sea' in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently making its way through Parliament. Ms Cooper has previously said this would allow the authorities to act against people 'involved in behaviour that puts others at risk of serious injury or death, such as physical aggression, intimidation, or rejecting rescue attempts'. But on Friday, she appeared to go further by suggesting even getting on an overcrowded boat could result in prosecution. She said: 'If you've got a boat where we've seen all of those people all climb on board that boat, they are putting everybody else's lives at risk.' Some 15 children are reported to have died while attempting the crossing in 2024, and Ms O'Neill told PA police tactics were making the situation more dangerous. During a series of broadcast interviews, Ms Cooper also declined to confirm reports the UK was looking at a 'one in, one out' policy that would see people who had crossed the Channel returned to Europe in exchange for asylum seekers with connections to Britain. Asked about the policy, she would only tell Sky News that ministers were 'looking at a range of different issues' and 'different ways of doing returns'. Sir Keir is expected to hold a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron, at which efforts to tackle small boat crossings are likely to be high on the agenda.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Channel crossing migrants should face prosecution if child dies
Everyone who arrives in the UK on a small boat where a child has died should face prosecution, the Home Secretary has said. Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was 'totally appalling' that children were being 'crushed to death on these overcrowded boats, and yet the boat still continues to the UK'. She added: 'Everybody who is arriving on a boat where a child's life has been lost, frankly, should be facing prosecution, either in the UK or in France.' The Government has already included a new offence of 'endangering life at sea' in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently making its way through Parliament. Ms Cooper has previously said this would allow the authorities to act against people 'involved in behaviour that puts others at risk of serious injury or death, such as physical aggression, intimidation, or rejecting rescue attempts'. But on Friday, she appeared to go further by suggesting even getting on an overcrowded boat could result in prosecution. She said: 'If you've got a boat where we've seen all of those people all climb on board that boat, they are putting everybody else's lives at risk.' Crossings have increased in the past year, reaching 20,600 by July 2, a rise of 52% compared with the same period in 2024. Some 15 children died trying to cross the Channel last year, prompting charity Project Play to warn that conditions were becoming 'more dangerous' for young people. Advocacy co-ordinator Kate O'Neill, based in northern France, blamed policies aimed at preventing crossings for the increasing risk. She told the PA news agency: 'Ultimately the children we're meeting every day are not safe. 'They're exposed to a level of violence, whether it's they are directly victims of it or the witness. 'We're ultimately at all times putting out fires… the underlying issue is these policies of border securitisation… that are creating more and more barriers to child safety and child protection.' She said there was hope when the Labour Government took office a year ago that there would be some improvement, adding: 'This is not at all what we've seen. 'They continued to make conditions more difficult and more dangerous.' She said: 'The smash-the-gangs narrative is not effective and it's harmful because ultimately the only way to put the gangs out of business is to cut the need for them.' Meanwhile, Ms O'Neill said French police were already intervening in crossing attempts in shallow waters despite the changes to the rules to allow this having not yet come into force. She said: 'This is not a new tactic… it's something that has been happening for a long time in Calais and surrounding areas. 'My feeling is that this is increasing based on the number of testimonies we're receiving from children and their families recently. 'It's really dangerous because the children often are in the middle of the boats.' On Friday, the Home Secretary welcomed reports that French police were intervening in French waters to prevent crossings, and said she had been 'working very closely with the French interior minister' to ensure the rules were changed 'as swiftly a possible'. Ms Cooper also declined to confirm reports the UK was looking at a 'one in, one out' policy that would see people who had crossed the Channel returned to Europe in exchange for asylum seekers with connections to Britain. Asked about the policy, she would only tell Sky News that ministers were 'looking at a range of different issues' and 'different ways of doing returns'.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Yvette Cooper says migrants on small boats where child has died should be prosecuted
The Home Secretary has called for the prosecution of all individuals arriving in the UK on a small boat if a child has died. Labour's Yvette Cooper told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was "totally appalling" that children were being "crushed to death on these overcrowded boats, and yet the boat still continues to the UK". Ms Cooper further insisted: "Everybody who is arriving on a boat where a child's life has been lost, frankly, should be facing prosecution, either in the UK or in France." This comes as the government is already introducing a new offence of "endangering life at sea" within the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently making its way through Parliament. Ms Cooper has previously said this would allow the authorities to act against people "involved in behaviour that puts others at risk of serious injury or death, such as physical aggression, intimidation, or rejecting rescue attempts". But on Friday, she appeared to go further by suggesting even getting on an overcrowded boat could result in prosecution. She said: "If you've got a boat where we've seen all of those people all climb on board that boat, they are putting everybody else's lives at risk." Crossings have increased in the past year, reaching 20,600 by July 2, a rise of 52% compared with the same period in 2024. Some 15 children died trying to cross the Channel last year, prompting charity Project Play to warn that conditions were becoming "more dangerous" for young people. Advocacy co-ordinator Kate O'Neill, based in northern France, blamed policies aimed at preventing crossings for the increasing risk. She told the PA news agency: "Ultimately the children we're meeting every day are not safe. "They're exposed to a level of violence, whether it's they are directly victims of it or the witness. "We're ultimately at all times putting out fires... the underlying issue is these policies of border securitisation... that are creating more and more barriers to child safety and child protection." She said there was hope when the Labour Government took office a year ago that there would be some improvement, adding: "This is not at all what we've seen. "They continued to make conditions more difficult and more dangerous." She said: "The smash-the-gangs narrative is not effective and it's harmful because ultimately the only way to put the gangs out of business is to cut the need for them." Meanwhile, Ms O'Neill said French police were already intervening in crossing attempts in shallow waters despite the changes to the rules to allow this having not yet come into force. She said: "This is not a new tactic... it's something that has been happening for a long time in Calais and surrounding areas. "My feeling is that this is increasing based on the number of testimonies we're receiving from children and their families recently. "It's really dangerous because the children often are in the middle of the boats." On Friday, the Home Secretary welcomed reports that French police were intervening in French waters to prevent crossings, and said she had been "working very closely with the French interior minister" to ensure the rules were changed "as swiftly a possible". Ms Cooper also declined to confirm reports the UK was looking at a "one in, one out" policy that would see people who had crossed the Channel returned to Europe in exchange for asylum seekers with connections to Britain. Asked about the policy, she would only tell Sky News that ministers were "looking at a range of different issues" and "different ways of doing returns".
