French Border Guard Speedboat 'Tries to Ram' Migrant Dinghy in Channel Drama
In a tense showdown on the English Channel, a French border guard speedboat allegedly attempted to ram a migrant vessel just moments after it left the French coast. The incident happened early Monday near Gravelines Beach, barely 100 feet into the perilous journey toward Calais.
123 Migrants Packed Into Inflatable Dinghy
The tiny inflatable was crammed with 123 migrants desperate to cross the Channel. This year alone, more than 19,000 migrants have risked the dangerous trip in small boats. Since Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government took office, 5,500 have landed in the UK. On Saturday, over 450 migrants arrived in nine separate boats.
Channel Crisis Puts Pressure on UK and France
The surge in crossings is stretching both British and French border forces to breaking point. To fight back, Home Secretary has launched a new Border Security Command aimed at dismantling criminal smuggling gangs profiting from the chaos.
“The new Government is taking steps to boost our border security, setting up a new Border Security Command… to smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions in profit,” said a Home Office spokesperson.
Will New Measures Curb the Channel Crossings?
As the migrant crisis drags on, the effectiveness of these beefed-up security tactics remains unclear. Both the UK and France face mounting challenges as they battle to control the continuing flood of crossings.
