French police have been urged to halt the use of rubber bullets and tear gas on migrants attempting to cross to Britain in small boats, according to a warning from the country’s human rights advisor.
Claire Hédon, the influential Defender of Rights, criticized the measures employed on the beaches of Calais and Normandy as excessive and potentially harmful to the many young men making their way to the UK.
Her recommendations, issued on Monday night, were labeled as ‘crazy’ by critics, sparking concerns that Paris might violate its agreement with the UK to adopt tougher measures against sea crossings.
Within her 18-page report, Ms. Hédon acknowledged the intent behind preventing such departures, citing the dangers of crossing, but emphasized that law enforcement’s protective role should not come at any cost. She warned that the use of intermediate force weapons poses risks to individuals.
She specifically advised against the deployment of ‘flash ball’ guns, which discharge rubber bullets, and the use of riot-control tear gas, suggesting they be avoided when the only aim of security forces is to stop people from boarding a vessel.
Furthermore, Ms. Hédon, 56, advocated for the development of an ‘intervention doctrine’ to better regulate police interactions with migrants, including the mandatory use of body-worn cameras during these encounters.
The Defender of Rights acts as a security forces watchdog and her advice is frequently implemented by the notoriously risk-averse French Government.
On Monday, sources said ministers would fear the prospect of lawsuits and prosecutions of officers if they failed to follow Ms Hédon’s advice.
French police will no longer be allowed to use tear gas or rubber bullets against would-be small-boat migrants if the government follows advice from its human rights watchdog
French officers have started using ‘intermediate force weapons’ against people attempting to cross the Channel amid pressure from the UK Government
Some migrants have attacked French police in a bid to make the perilous journey, forcing officers to use weapons in self-defence
French police have started using knives to slash inflatable boats and scupper planned crossings, a move that may also be scrapped following the Defender of Rights’ report
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: ‘These recommendations are crazy. If the French Government were foolish enough to adopt them, it would be a green light for people smugglers and illegal migrants who are already running amok in northern France.
‘It would make the UK Government’s agreement with France completely meaningless, and we would see even greater numbers of people flooding across the channel.’
He said it added fuel to the Tories’ argument that Britain must withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to enable faster deportations.
In March 2023, the UK paid France £500 million as part of an agreement to tighten its border patrols and step up interventions.
French police have since taken to slashing inflatable boats with knives and restraining migrants, some of whom have physically assaulted officers, with pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets.
On April 26, 2024, police fired 10 rubber bullets and used 37 tear gas grenades near Gravelines against a group of migrants who were throwing rocks and other projectiles.
In the same month, officers prevented a boat from departing Oye-Plage, near Calais, by using 14 tear gas grenades, one stun grenade and eight rubber bullet rounds.
Amid growing pressure from the UK, French officers made their first interception at sea last week, boarding a small boat off the coast of Calais and arresting those on board.
Up to 42,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats organised by people smugglers last year, with most of them claiming asylum.
Since 2022, there have been 40 complaints about police violence, almost all of them by charity Utopia 56, which gives food, shelter and legal support to would-be migrants before they board small boats from France.
Amélie Moyart, from the charity, said: ‘There were 78 deaths related to crossing attempts in 2024, and we link this to the police presence on the beaches, where they use tear gas indiscriminately and from a distance, while people try to board the boats at all costs.’
The UK Home Office declined to comment.
