FURY AS French Unions REFUSE to Stop Migrant Boats: ‘Too DANGEROUS’ to Tackle Dinghies as 1,200 Cross in ONE DAY While Police Stand and WATCH

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Macron’s forces claim stopping overcrowded boats in shallow water would be ‘unsafe’ – as smugglers exploit OUTRAGEOUS loophole to run ‘taxi service’ picking up migrants who wade into sea

French police unions have REJECTED demands to intercept migrant boats on beaches – claiming it would be “too dangerous” to tackle overcrowded dinghies – as shocking figures reveal nearly 1,200 people crossed the Channel in a SINGLE DAY.

The bombshell refusal comes as GB News exclusively revealed the record-breaking crossings, with smugglers brazenly exploiting an extraordinary legal loophole that means French officers can do NOTHING once boats are in the water.

In scenes that have left British officials incandescent with rage, French police have been photographed standing on beaches WATCHING as packed dinghies full of migrants sail off to Britain – powerless to intervene under current rules.

THE DAMNING FIGURES

The shocking statistics that have sparked fury across Westminster:

• 1,194 migrants crossed on Saturday alone – highest daily total this year
• 14,811 have arrived so far in 2025 – up 42% on last year
• 95% INCREASE compared to same period in 2023
• France stopped just 184 migrants on record-breaking Saturday
• Only 38% of boats intercepted this year – DOWN from 47% in 2023

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper branded the situation “disgraceful and unacceptable” as pressure mounts on Emmanuel Macron ahead of his state visit to Britain in July.

THE OUTRAGEOUS LOOPHOLE

Under current French law, officers face an extraordinary restriction:

• They CAN puncture boats on the beach
• They CANNOT touch boats once in water
• They can ONLY intervene if migrants call for help
• Maximum intervention distance: ZERO metres from shore

This has led to smugglers developing brazen new tactics:

• Launching empty boats from inland canals
• Acting as “water taxis” to collect migrants
• Forcing people to wade into the sea to board
• Using violence against police who try to intervene

UNION REVOLT

French police unions have now REJECTED government plans to change the law, citing:

• “SAFETY FEARS” about boarding overcrowded boats
• Risk of causing boats to capsize
• Danger to officers from violent smugglers
• Potential for mass drownings

One union source told French media: “We’re being asked to board dangerously overloaded boats in rough seas. It’s a recipe for disaster.”

MACRON’S BROKEN PROMISES

The French President faces mounting criticism over FAILED pledges:

• 2022: Promised law change to allow shallow water interceptions
• February 2025: Agreed to amend laws within months
• June 2025: Still NO ACTION taken
• July 2025: State visit to UK with crisis unresolved

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau wants officers to intercept boats up to 300 metres from shore – but unions are blocking the move.

SMUGGLER VIOLENCE ESCALATES

French authorities report “increasing violence” against officers:

• Police assaulted on beaches by smuggling gangs
• Officers attacked with weapons and stones
• Boats launched under armed guard
• Criminal gangs operating with impunity

A new elite unit – the Compagnie de Marche – has been deployed with special public order powers, but unions claim it’s not enough.

THE ‘TAXI SERVICE’ SCANDAL

Witnesses describe the shocking new smuggling tactics:

1. Empty boats launched from canals inland
2. Dinghies sail to pre-arranged beach locations
3. Migrants wade into water to meet boats
4. Police watch helplessly from shore
5. Boats collect passengers like “water taxis
6. Dinghies sail to Britain unopposed

UK officials have been in urgent contact with French counterparts, demanding immediate action.

BRITISH FURY MOUNTS

MPs are calling for drastic action as patience runs out:

• Demands to SUSPEND fishing deal with EU
• Calls to WITHHOLD payments to France
• Pressure to deploy Royal Navy
• Questions over £480 MILLION paid to France

One furious MP told us: “We’re paying France hundreds of millions to stop these boats, and they’re literally standing on the beach watching them leave. It’s an absolute scandal.”

THE HUMAN COST

The crisis shows no sign of abating:

• 30 deaths already this year in Channel
• Boats carrying up to 70 people in vessels meant for 20
• Children as young as 2 years old on dinghies
• Pregnant women forced to make crossing
• Disabled people carried onto boats

MACRON’S JULY RECKONING

President Macron faces a diplomatic disaster when he arrives for his state visit:

• British demands for IMMEDIATE action
• Threats to tear up cooperation agreements
• Public anger at French “betrayal”
• Questions over future funding

A Whitehall source said: “The President needs to arrive with solutions, not excuses. The British public have had enough.”

THE WEATHER WARNING

Forecasters predict perfect crossing conditions next week:

• Calm seas expected for 7 days
• Temperatures rising to 22°C
• Light winds from the south
• Smugglers preparing “armada” of boats

Border Force is bracing for potentially thousands more arrivals as the crisis deepens.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

IMMEDIATE: Emergency UK-French summit this week NEXT WEEK: Expected surge in crossings JULY: Macron’s make-or-break state visit AUTUMN: UK threatens to act unilaterally

THE DAMNING TIMELINE

2018: Sandhurst Agreement signed 2020: First “stop boats” promise 2022: France pledges law change 2023: Record 45,000 cross Channel 2024: Numbers fall by 36% 2025: Crisis EXPLODES again

Image credit: Brigitte Macron and Emmanuel Macron – November 2018 (cropped) by President.gov.ua, licensed under CC BY 4.0.