French riot police in early morning clash with migrants in coastal town
Pictures and footage captured by the PA news agency shows a group throwing rocks from afar in the direction of the officers early on Friday, while small fires are alight in the road near a park in Gravelines.
The scene between the men – two seen by PA wearing life jackets – and the Gendarmerie and Police Nationale officers, who were equipped with shields, helmets and tear gas, lasted for about 20 minutes at around 5.30am.
It came after migrants were filmed running into the water and boarding a dinghy at Gravelines beach on Thursday morning.
More than 22,500 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far in 2025, a record for this point in the year.
Last week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed a one in, one out migrant returns deal in a bid to crack down on the crossings and the people smuggling gangs who operate them.
Sir Keir met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday where he also praised Berlin's plans to strengthen laws to disrupt small boat crossings by the end of the year.
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