Advertisement

Night vision: France to spend €11m on new tech to stop migrant Channel crossings

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
Night vision: France to spend €11m on new tech to stop migrant Channel crossings
French police officers patrolling the beach between Ambleteusse and Wimereux, northern France, pass by the wreckage of a inflatable boat used by migrants who attempt to cross the Channel towards England, on October 16, 2021. (Photo by Marc SANYE / AFP) / “The erroneous mention appearing in the metadata of this photo by Marc SANYE has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Wimereux] instead of [Wimeraux]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require.”

The French government has announced an €11 million package of new equipment - including night-vision equipment and thermal cameras - as it steps up operations against people smugglers who facilitate illegal crossings to the UK.

Advertisement

After a meeting between French interior minister Gérald Darmanin and  his British counterpart Priti Patel, France has announced the deployment of extra measures along its northern coast, where small boats set off to make the perilous crossing to the UK.

The British government promised France an extra €62 million to fund the ongoing security operations, although the two governments appear to be at odds over how much of the money has actually been paid.

But the Interior Ministry has now announced that equipment and vehicles worth €11m have been acquired within this agreement, and will lead to extra patrols along the 130km stretch of coastline.

The ministry announced: "More than 100 mobile vehicles are being delivered to the field for patrols, with equipment adapted to the specific nature of the terrain, such as quad bikes, 4×4s, Zodiac-type boats and vehicles equipped with sophisticated surveillance and detection equipment.

Advertisement

"Twenty vehicles have already been delivered and are used by the forces on a daily basis, the others will arrive progressively in December and during 2022.

"In addition, there will be modern, high-performance night vision equipment, thermal cameras, 300 lamps, 160 tactical lighting projectors, interception and communication means, as well as clothing effects. This equipment will also be delivered during 2022 and will be made available to the forces gradually, as soon as it is received."

Overall, France intercepts between 50 and 60 percent of small boats that attempt the clandestine crossing, with figures from August 2021 showing that 10,522 people were detained in France, while another 12,256 made it to the UK and were detained there.

The crossing is highly dangerous and every year people die while making the attempt.

READ ALSO What is France doing to stop migrants crossing the Channel

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

michael.galvin 2021/11/23 18:04
Surely if the purchase of rubber dinghies and outboard motors was controlled, that would deny the smugglers the means of transport. Licences, Identity checks and so on would control who purchases these (repeatedly...), and record where they are to be kept (used...). And then if they are no longer at that that location - questions... Simples. And a lot cheaper than 11 million Euros!!! Selling the dinghies, life-jackets and motors that pile up in England would help with the costs of the attempts (ineffective?) at controlling the flow (flood?).

See Also