One officer narrowly escaped being burned when a small boat smuggler attacked.
A French policeman says officers would be in danger without non-lethal weapons (Image: Getty)
Smugglers in northern France have attempted to stone police officers and set fire to them using petrol, an officer said. Fresh details have emerged of the challenges police face from violent thugs arranging small boat crossings to Britain across the English Channel.
French police have been using an array of weapons to deter smugglers after coming under fierce criticism they do not do enough to prevent migrants making the perilous journey. The authorities argue such kit is needed to “neutralise” boats and stop smugglers putting migrants’ lives at risk. Rights groups argue against the tactics, but police this week revealed details about the violent methods smugglers use to avoid capture.
Marc Allègre is a union delegate for a local force and has 20 years of policing experience. He told La Voix Du Nord newspaper: “If we don’t have non-lethal weapons, we put ourselves in danger in the face of smugglers.
“My colleague was on the ground, a smuggler wanted to finish him off with a rock. I had to take out my service weapon to dissuade him.
“In these extreme situations, recurrent with smugglers, I prefer to use a non-lethal weapon than my service weapon.”
The same publication reported over 100 police officers and gendarmes have been injured since 2024.
Mr Allègre recalled another attack on a colleague on the beach of Gravelines where smugglers threw petrol at them because their boat had been put out of action by officers.
He said his colleague would have been burned if a police dog had not been used to push them away.
French police have been defending their efforts to stop migrant small boat crossings after coming under fire from local charity Utopia 56 for deploying heavy-handed tactics.
Police have admitted using defence bullet throwers, gas canisters and grenades aimed at disorientating smugglers in their efforts to thwart them.
Amélie Moyart from the humanitarian campaign group, Utopia 56, said its members have witnessed crossing attempts and the use of such weapons has become systematic.
The Home Office said earlier this month that joint efforts by British and French authorities have stopped 40,000 crossing attempts since the last general election.
A total of 41,472 migrants arrived in the UK last year after crossing the English Channel. This is the second highest annual figure on record.
The total for last year was 13% higher than the figure for 2024, when 36,816 migrants made the journey. It was 41% higher than 2023’s total of 29,437 and 9% below the all-time high of 45,774 in 2022.
