French riot police block dozens of migrants from reaching small boats in early hours confrontation

Women and children among large migrant group in Gravelines |

GB NEWS

Lewis Henderson

By Lewis Henderson


Published: 30/09/2025

- 22:22

One dinghy full of migrants passed the pack who were waiting for a small boat to arrive

French riot police blocked dozens of migrants from reaching small boats in the early hours of this morning.

A group of more than 50 people, including at least 10 young children, wearing large orange life jackets, were pictured in Gravelines, northern France.


French police, armed with guns, tear gas and riot shields, used vehicles to block in and force the group as they tried to get to the beach.

A woman with a baby strapped to her back was pushed into the crowd by one officer as she attempted to break through the police line.

The large group appeared to be waiting for a dinghy to arrive from the canal, which runs through Gravelines.

Cries and shouts of confusion were heard as the riot police forced them down a new route.

The police later left the migrants, who waited by the canal hoping for a dinghy to arrive.

One dinghy passed the group, carrying a separate group of migrants trying to reach the UK from the coast of Dunkirk.

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\u200bFrench riot police blocked off the migrants from reaching a small boat

French riot police blocked off the migrants from reaching a small boat

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PA

Some 70 migrants arrived in the UK on Monday on one small boat.

Since the start of the year, 33,556 people have made the crossing, taking the total since Sir Keir Starmer took office to nearly 57,000.

On Sunday, 125 migrants crossed the Channel in a "mega dinghy" - the biggest ever number of illegal arrivals on a single boat.

Across Saturday, almost 900 migrants made the crossing from France.

A further 400 made the illegal journey on Sunday, taking advantage of a break in the weather conditions.

Maritime sources told GB News that increasing the use of these much larger migrant rafts would be a "game changer".

The source said: "We've been seeing the criminal gangs squeezing more and more migrants onto their dinghies.

"We'll now regularly see more than 80 on a single boat. That's dangerously overloaded and we've seen again this weekend four migrants die on overcrowded boats.

Migrants were seen with orange jackets on in the early hours of this morning\u200b

Migrants were seen with orange jackets on in the early hours of this morning

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PA

"The mega dinghies are obviously bigger and could carry as many as 150.

"If we see these vessels being increasingly used by the people smugglers, they can get many more across the Channel on fewer boats."

Reacting to the arrival of the migrant dinghy, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "These small boat crossings are utterly unacceptable and the vile people-smugglers behind them are wreaking havoc on our borders.

"Thanks to our deal with France, people crossing in small boats can be detained and the first removals have now begun.

"Protecting the UK border is my priority as Home Secretary and I will explore all options to restore order to our immigration system."

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