France: Boat migrant stabs police officers off Calais beach

EA French police officer has been fatally stabbed as he tried to stop migrants crossing the Channel to Britain. “Le Monde” newspaper reported that the officer was stabbed in the hand as he tried to land an inflatable boat belonging to a group of 60 migrants on a beach near Calais on Saturday. The policeman suffered an arterial injury and required surgery. Police were trying to identify the culprit in a group of men, women and children.

During the night, police had already destroyed three inflatable boats that migrants wanted to use to make the dangerous crossing from northern France to Great Britain. A police officer was attacked during an argument with refugees, during which officers also fired tear gas, Le Monde reported. According to the police, violent attacks on French officers who try to stop migrants from crossing are common.

Paris and London recently agreed to jointly step up the fight against unwanted migration. Great Britain has long been paying France for border security. The UK saw over 46,000 boat migrants last year.