French police accused of rising use of violence to stop Channel crossings
A French NGO, Utopia 56, has accused French police of using excessive force against migrants attempting to cross the English Channel. The report claims that UK-funded enforcement measures have made the crossings more dangerous and led to family separations.
Why it matters
It highlights the humanitarian consequences of border enforcement policies and the friction between international migration and state security.
People wade through water to board a boat in Gravelines, northern France, in May. People wade through water to board a boat in Gravelines, northern France, in May. France French police accused of rising use of violence to stop Channel crossings NGO criticises ‘human cost’ of UK-funded crackdown on attempts to set off from French beaches in small boats
Prefer the Guardian on Google People trying to cross the Channel to the UK have reported an increase in French police use of violence on beaches to prevent them from getting into dinghies, according to a French NGO.
Utopia 56, which works on beaches from where migrants attempt Channel crossings, says so far this year 2,720 people have reported being victims of French police violence, compared with 1,954 over the same period last year, when crossings overall were much higher.
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