THIS is the moment hopeless French cops try to stop migrants with pepper spray – before watching dozens sail away on a small boat.
The bungling officers were captured trying to run after groups of young men in life jackets on the beach in Gravelines, north France.
Sky NewsThe cops were filmed running after migrants with cans of pepper spray[/caption]
Sky NewsDespite their best efforts, dozens of migrants managed to board a small boat[/caption]
PAIt comes as more than 35,000 people have crossed the Channel on small boats this year[/caption]
The French authorities are initially shown speaking with the migrants as they try to usher them away from the shore.
Some of the group are then physically pushed by the cops, who start menacingly holding up the white canisters.
Seconds later, the camera cuts to one man dodging officers as they unsuccessfully try to douse him with the pepper spray.
The police are then forced to watch on as waves of migrants make their way onto the vessel and eventually set off across the Channel.
It comes as more than 35,000 people have crossed to the UK on small boats this year, but just 26 have been returned to France.
Two chartered flights have taken migrants back in the past two weeks as part of the Government’s one-in one-out deal with Paris.
Labour have claimed the deal sends a “clear message” that arrivals could be detained and removed.
But despite this, more than 1,000 people arrived on small boats on Wednesday alone, taking the total in 2025 up to 35,476.
The shocking figure means that just 0.07 per cent of this year’s arrivals have been deported.
As part of the British taxpayer-funded reciprocal deal, 18 eligible people have so far come to the UK.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “We are sending a clear message.
“If you come here illegally, you face being detained and removed, so think twice before making that journey.”
Crossings continue to soar despite Britain giving nundreds of millions of taxpayer funding to the French since 2018.
Smugglers have adapted to avoid law enforcement by learning local canal systems and loading boats with people inland.
They are also launching from more secluded and wider beaches which are not patrolled as regularly.
On numerous occasions this year, The Sun has watched on as useless French cops unsuccessfully prevent small boats from setting sail.
In June, they were spotted for the first time in waist-high water using riot shields and pepper spray to disperse the migrant groups.
The officers finally went into the sea, but the small boats were still left dangerously overcrowded after the officers retreated.
A month later, we saw officers arrive an hour after a group of migrants waved au revoir from a packed dinghy headed for the UK.
Around 50 young East African men wearing life jackets were crammed on to the inflatable, which set off near Dunkirk.
The migrant “taxi boat” was even able to bob along in near-perfect sea conditions while waiting to pick up any stragglers.
Last month, a record 125 migrants arrived on a “mega-dinghy”, breaking a previous record of 106 from August.
The shocking arrival came just hours before Keir Starmer branded Nigel Farage’s migration plan racist.
The PM ramped up his attacks on Farage by branding his pledge to scrap indefinite leave to remain (ILR) as “racist” and “immoral”.
He told the BBC: “It is one thing to say we are going to remove illegal migrants, people who have no right to be here. I’m up for that.
“It is a completely different thing to say we are going to reach in to people who are lawfully here and start removing them.
GettyOn numerous occasions this year, The Sun has watched on as useless French cops unsuccessfully prevent small boats[/caption]
Police have also used tear gas to try and stop migrants boarding the small boats
We saw officers arrive an hour after a group of migrants waved au revoir from a packed dinghyReuters
“They are our neighbours. They are people who work in our economy. They are part of who we are. It will rip this country apart.”
Pressed directly, he said: “Well, I do think that is a racist policy.”
However he said this only for his own Home Secretary to pledge a similar crackdown.
Foreigners on benefits risk being deported under proposals to be unveiled by Shabana Mahmood.
Speaking at Tory party conference this week, Robert Jenrick accused activist judges of stopping illegal migrants being kicked out the UK.
The Shadow Justice Secretary blasted the judges were like biased “referees” helping the other side.
He pledged the Tories would abolish immigration tribunals and ban political activists from donning the wig ever again.
He claimed he had uncovered dozens of judges with ties to open borders charities who “take to social media to broadcast their views”.
Mr Jenrick said: “It’s like finding out halfway through a football match that the referee is a season ticket holder for the other side.
“The public rightly ask, how independent are they?
“They dishonour generations of independent jurists who came before and undermine the British people’s trust in the law itself.”
PASome of the migrants were successfully hit with the spray[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
