French Police Slash Migrant Boat in Channel; UK Calls Move ‘Significant’

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Updated Jul 4, 2025, 04:22 PM

French police waded into shallow waters off Ecault beach near Boulogne on 4 July and used knives to puncture an overcrowded inflatable that was preparing to cross the English Channel. Around 80 to 100 people had been waiting to board; those already aboard—among them several children—scrambled back to shore unharmed as the vessel deflated.

BBC footage shows officers removing body armour before entering the surf to slash the dinghy after its outboard motor stalled. The move breaks with long-standing rules that normally prevent French law-enforcement personnel from intervening once a boat is in the water, making it the first documented instance of a vessel being disabled at sea under a tougher strategy to deter crossings.

Downing Street welcomed the scenes, calling them “a significant moment.” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the intervention reflects joint plans for French officers to act within 300 metres of the shore, adding that both governments are pushing for broader at-sea measures to disrupt smuggling gangs.

Further details are expected at an Anglo-French summit next week, as arrivals hit new highs. UK figures show 20,422 people have reached England in small boats so far this year, almost 50 percent more than in the same period of 2024, with 5,170 making the journey in June alone.

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