“Don't go into the water.” Police in France refuse to stop migrants

The French Trade Union of UN1TE policemen handed over to officers of the Border Guard and the gendarmerie to refuse to capture Łódź with migrants, defeating the La Manche channel illegally on the way to Great Britain, “Telegraph” said on Thursday.

The British newspaper revealed that French service has not yet received any training or information from government representatives about what the procedure for capturing Łódź with migrants should look like. Trade unionists have announced that they would not take any action without ensuring that they will be properly trained, protected and well equipped.

“As a member of the trade union, I will tell my colleagues not to enter the water,” said Secretary General of Un1te Jean-Christophe Couvy in an interview with “Telegraph”. – We cannot ask officers to risk life without protection. (…) I don't want a policeman to drown because we ask him to enter the water and stop migrants – he added.

The current law of France prohibits officers to capture Łódź with migrants, which has already sailed, unless people on the ship ask for help.

In June, the French government undertook to change the way of interpreting maritime law in order to be able to allow policemen to stop migrants at sea, 300 m from the shore.

“Telegraph” pointed out that the introduction of new changes in the law is threatened because of the vote on the vote of trust for the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, which is to take place on September 8.

In an interview with the British Dziennik Marc Musiol, a representative of Un1te for the Border Guard in Calais, Dunkirk and Coquelles, said that the police continue to intervene on migrants only on the beaches and “there is no indication that there is changes in the way of action.”

Data of the Ministry of the Interior showed that the French police prevented the border of 1852 migrants in the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August. It is over a third less than 2898 attempts to thwart the border on the La Manche channel in the same period in 2024.

In 2023, five French soldiers were charged with sinking of Łódź with migrants in the La Manche channel in November 2021, for the alleged lack of actions at call for help. The investigation is pending.

The British-French pilot program regarding the deportation of migrants came into force on August 5. The contract enables the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deport adults to France whose asylum application will be considered unacceptable. At the same time, London undertook to accept migrants who would reach a legal and controlled road directly from France. Hence the determination of the program – “one for one”.

The government of the British Prime Minister Keira Starmer expects about 50 people to be sent each week. The first detention under the bilateral contract occurred on August 7.

On Tuesday, the British Ministry of the Interior reported that from the beginning of the year 28,947 migrants have entered illegally through the La Manche channel and reached Great Britain. This is an increase of 50 percent. compared to the same period of 2024.

From London Marta Zabłocka (PAP)

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