I’ve seen firsthand that stopping the boats is an impossible task – no matter how much money we throw at it
IWhen the first small boat appeared, it was around 7.45 in the morning. He was born on Gravelines, a coastal town in the mouth of the Sun, Calais and Dunkirk. It was the first calm day for more than a week.
Khaki uniforms and black vests carrying the word ‘gendarmerie’ – civil servants’ salaries by the UK – a few hundred meters away from the British channel were standing. They were warned by a runner passing to the ship.
At first it was a stain on the river from a distance, but soon he approached enough to reveal that it was a swelling raft with a dozen young man.
One of the three military reserves watched swelling with their binoculars as they passed by. Another started writing something on his phone. The officers later began to walk along the river coast behind the boat – but he did nothing to deter them the people on this ship.
At this point, people were walking at the next Great Gravelines Beach and some towards the coastline. Mostly men, then women and young children.
In a town at the top of the beach, a handful of police officers, probably with the UK money, were trying to stand in front of a group. But he met more than a dozen who made a beeline for the sea, which was an impossible task.
Soon, those on the beach were walking towards the ship to join the existing passengers. He quickly became crowded.
A helicopter appeared and remained low around the ship, but people continued to ride. A gendarmerie boat came and tried to prevent some of them from boarding, but it was clear that nothing could be done to stop them without endangering the lives of people on the overloaded boat.
Until 9.30 in the morning, the boat sailed towards Dover.
For the next hour, another Dinghy came out of the river, this time about 25 people and the same process was played on the ship. About an hour later, another boat appeared and took more people from the beach before sailing towards England.
On the same day, 17 small boats made England, 1,097 people on board. The British press prevailed another record -breaking cuffs for channel crossings, and this year, the total arrival so far exceeded 30,100.
Shabana Mahmood, who was appointed as the Minister of Interior only 48 hours ago, described the numbers as “completely unacceptable ve and promised to ör Discovering all options to restore the order”.
The words are very familiar. British ministers had a series of announcements that promised to prevent transitions in recent years – but in vain.
Sir Keir Starmer’s government promised only more beach patrols, advanced surveillance technology and new expert intelligence units last year.
For the period of 2023-25, a large amount of British money was given to France to address the issue with an £ 476 million commitment.
Funds, as well as other things, hundreds Gendarme reserves, helicopters and quartet – All of these were full of Gravelines at the weekend. Still, they proved that he could not do anything to prevent them from separating.
People have been going to England irregularly for the last 30 years. Will not stop now
A Frenchman
So far, everything to be shown for funds and initiatives aiming to stop boats is a higher destination and higher death rate, as shown the number of record deaths recorded last year. Only this week, four people died while trying to go on a journey, including a woman and two children.
While the French police usually managed to prevent some transitions by destroying boats before reaching the water, this caused more people to clog on every boat entering the water and put people at higher risk.
However, it continues to pursue hard tactics. Under the pressure of Britain, France announced earlier this year that border police, gendarmerie and coastal ships will cut small boats within 300 meters of the coast. It is unclear how such interventions can work without placing people at a serious risk.
A gendarmerie said on Saturday morning as the boats standing on the edge of the river passing, the change will risk their lives. “These were overloaded boats, people panic and then what?” he said with eyebrows. “And who is held responsible? The police officers who perform the maneuver, not the state.”
He did not think that it would be effective to put an end to the problem by implying that he would find ways around the smugglers.
The ministers recently announced an agreement with ‘together’, where the arrival of small boats for France to receive the same number of immigrants from France.
However, only 50 people are expected to be returned every week within the scope of the plan, and for example, anyone who does not have documents such as most of the Sudanese citizens will not be suitable for applying for legal routes.
Both initiatives will be done properly, undoubtedly, it will be very costly, it requires more taxpayers than both Britain and France: for more French police boats, more detention capacity in the UK, not to mention the cost of carrying people throughout the channel under the return agreement.
And even with all this, the chance of preventing these new plans from trying to cross people, and – in the case of interventions – it is weak to do so without endangering it.
Ali, a young Sudanese man who lives in Calais, went on a journey with a small boat twice. He told me that because of bad weather conditions, the other failed because the Captain ‘was taking the boat in the wrong direction.
He said he hoped to stay in France, but the claim of asylum here was recently rejected. The EU’s Dublin policy means that the attempt to asylum in another EU country will now be successful, so it now sees England as its only hope.
When asked if he thought that something would take him and others on a journey, Ali shrugged. “If England sends me back to France, then okay. But then will France send me back to Sudan?
“I see the drones and everything that England bought for France.
On Saturday morning, it was clear that the British taxpayer money was trying to stop traveling people like Ali, as a witness to the stage in Gravelines. In addition, it was clear that attempts to increase all future security and bring more tactics, like everyone else before them, could not only serve and serve life.
As one of the Jendarmes said, just like the second boat for Dover’s white cliffs: “People have been going to England for the last 30 years. Now it will not stop.”
