Overview

• On July 4, six French gendarmes entered shallow waters off Saint-Étienne-au-Mont and used cutters to slash the hull of a migrant boat carrying about 30 passengers to halt the journey.
• The Préfecture du Pas-de-Calais said the intervention at 8:30 AM responded to an immediate danger posed by rough waves and reported no injuries or need for medical assistance.
• A Downing Street spokesperson described the action as “a significant moment” and underscored the UK’s demand to extend interception zones up to 300 meters offshore.
• France’s new shallow-water tactic forms part of intensified Franco-British cooperation to stem over 20,500 Channel crossings recorded in the first half of 2025, a 48% increase year-on-year.
• Maritime law experts caution that preemptive hull-slashing may breach international rules that restrict authorities to rescue operations once vessels are underway.