BBC on the French beach as police cut a migrant “taxi-boat” that heads to the UK

Against the backdrop of chaotic scenes, the French gendarmes rushed into shallow waters from the beach south of Bulon and used knives to throw an inflatable small boat full of men, women and children who ruined, dangerously, in the waves.

The intervention was extremely unusual. French police usually follow strict rules that prevents them from entering the sea if they put a life at risk.

It is possible to see this rare incident as a proof that the French police, under increasing pressure to stop the tide of the migrant migrant crossing to the United Kingdom, are changing their tactics.

The Taxi Boat, without almost no passengers, approached the shore, watched by the French boat on the coast, further in the channel. Initially, people were introduced forward into organized groups holding hands and directed by one person who seems to be the leading events. But as the inflatable boat turned and turned to the shore, there was a scandal, as dozens of people escaped to climb up the water, which was at least a deep waist.

At first, the gendarmes refused to intervene and stood watching from the shore. An officer repeated an already known explanation of BBC correspondent Andrew Harding-they are forbidden to enter the water except to save people. But as the situation became more and more haotic, the officers of the scene made it clear that it was a crossed line, that those on board were already in danger and that there was a brief opportunity to deactivate the boat in relative safety.

Moments later the boat was dragged ashore by police when the migrants began to collect objects that had fallen on the beach and then headed inside, up the sand paths through the dunes to the nearest village and a bus back to the migrants further north.