Violence is escalating along the French coastline, with people-smuggling gangs and illegal migrants resorting to extreme tactics, including using children as “human shields” during confrontations with police. According to Deputy director Carol Heginbottom of the Small Boats Operational Command for the UK’s Border Force, the situation is worsening due to recent legislation allowing Britain to remove illegal boat migrants to asylum processing centres in Rwanda. These criminal gangs are resorting to violence, attacking police with weapons and using women and children as shields to prevent law enforcement intervention.
The recent incident at the Loon-Plage migrant camp near Dunkirk, where a migrant was shot and seriously injured in a clash between rival people-smuggling gangs, highlights the dangerous situation. The French police have been instructed to increase enforcement efforts to prevent small boats from setting sail in the English Channel. Despite their efforts, the number of boat migrants reaching UK territorial waters is on the rise.
France has faced criticism for its handling of migrant boats, with concerns about safety and adherence to international maritime laws. The situation has prompted Ireland to draft emergency legislation to address the increasing number of migrants. Downing Street has indicated that it will not accept migrants from Ireland if France refuses to take back boat migrants, signaling a potential political solution to the crisis.
It remains unclear whether efforts to address the crisis will be effective as long as the European Union’s external borders remain open to asylum seekers from various regions. The situation underscores the need for coordinated efforts to address the root causes of illegal migration.
