French police are under investigation by a human rights watchdog after reportedly using a knife to slash a migrant boat stuck on a beach near Calais, France. Video footage circulating online shows the police deflating the rubber dinghy, causing over 20 individuals to return to shore unharmed.
The incident, which occurred with the water at knee height, has sparked controversy, with migrant charity Utopia 56 labeling it as illegal and endangering lives. According to the charity, the police breached regulations by intervening while the boat was technically at sea.
Following the incident, Utopia 56 filed complaints with France’s Defender of Rights and the IGGN National Gendarmerie Inspectorate. The organization accused the police of engaging in the risky practice of slashing boats already in the water.
In defense, a spokesman for the Pas-de-Calais gendarmerie stated that the intervention was lawful as the boat was stranded on dry land due to a flotation failure. The police neutralized the boat to prevent it from reentering the sea and further risking the migrants’ lives.
The UK and France recently signed a £660 million agreement to intercept more boats launched upstream before reaching UK shores. Since the small boats crisis began in 2018, around 200,000 crossings have been recorded, with 92 individuals arriving on two boats recently.
Tragically, the bodies of a woman and a teenage girl were discovered on a migrant boat that ran aground, believed to have died due to an engine explosion. Identified as Sudanese nationals, the victims are suspected to have perished from crushing or suffocation.
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