French police fire tear gas at migrants in Calais
Police Nationale officers, equipped with riot shields, tear gas, and batons, patrolled the beach before sunrise
French police deployed tear gas against migrants gathered on sand dunes near Gravelines beach, north-east of Calais, as they awaited a small boat to attempt a crossing to the UK.
On Tuesday morning, hundreds of migrants, including individuals of all ages, congregated on the dunes, making attempts to reach the Channel and board a single dinghy.
Those who reached the sea were forced to wait in waist-deep water for nearly an hour before boarding could commence.
One elderly man, using crutches, had to be carried out of the water by two individuals, who then rejoined the crowd. Many others were unable to reach the water, surrendering amidst the tear gas fired by the Police Nationale.
Police Nationale officers, equipped with riot shields, tear gas, and batons, patrolled Gravelines beach before sunrise on Tuesday.
Pictures taken by the PA news agency show a cloud of smoke as migrants ran from the dunes.
A warning cry of “baby, baby” was heard as a man carrying a tiny child sprinted out of the smog.
Those who made it to the water bunched into three groups and waited for the dinghy to collect them, watched by the French police from the shoreline.
While they waited, an Afghan migrant who wished to remain anonymous told PA that he was seeking a better life in the UK.
“Just I want to go for a good life, I have a bad situation in my country,” he said.
Well over 50 migrants made it aboard the small black dinghy before it finally took off into the channel.
Others were left to watch as it floated out to sea.
Pictures from the morning show a woman sitting dejected on the sand after chasing the dinghy as it left the beach.
She and her friends, thought to be Ethiopian, complained that it was mostly men who had managed to get on the boat that morning.
They had been hit by tear gas when the migrants were making their initial sprint to the water.
The police present on Gravelines beach would not confirm whether the use of tear gas had now become common practice during these clashes.
A beach comber who has begun to document crossings was watching events unfold on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old said of French police: “I think they show them that they tried to stop them but they’re happy if a few hundred or thousand are away because the camps are more empty.”
The dinghy which had originally come to shore around 7am local time (6am BST) headed out to sea at 9.30am.
The boat was thought to be overloaded and witnesses saw it was eventually brought back to shore at around 11am local time (10am BST).