France's new 45-man anti-small boats team 'will not have power to enter water'
A new French "surge team" of 45 police officers deployed to tackle the small boats crisis in Normandy will not have the power to enter the water. People traffickers have changed tactics in recent months preferring use so-called 'mega dinghies' carrying 100s of migrants from beaches further south along the coast from previous launch sites near Calais and Dunkirk.
TL;DR
- A new 45-officer French police 'surge team' has been deployed to Normandy to combat the small boats crisis.
- The team will not have the power to enter the water, potentially limiting their effectiveness against people traffickers.
- Traffickers have shifted to using larger 'mega dinghies' launched from beaches further south along the coast, including Normandy.
- French authorities have struggled to stop these larger craft, which can travel up to 150 miles offshore.
- UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham discussed the crisis with outgoing French President Emmanuel Macron, emphasizing the need for scaled-up European cooperation.
- The Home Office stated the new teams aim to target people smugglers, but officers can only enter the water if there is an immediate threat to life.
- A commanding officer previously told The Times that stopping migrants in the water is too dangerous.
- 16,391 migrants have crossed the Channel so far this year.
- Joint action with France has reportedly prevented over 48,000 crossing attempts since 2024.
- More than 1,100 boats and engines have been seized by the National Crime Agency and international partners.