I've been covering immigration stories for years, but this one made me actually laugh out loud at the sheer audacity.
So there's this French police union leader, Fabien Vanhemelryck, who runs his mouth calling migrants "scum" and "pests" - his exact words, by the way. But here's the kicker: his union is actively fighting against doing anything to actually stop these same people from crossing the Channel to Britain.
You literally cannot make this stuff up.
The £476 Million Question
Britain's already handed over £476 million to France - that's million with an M - supposedly to stop these crossings. And what do we get for our money? French cops standing around taking photos while over 1,000 migrants pile into dinghies in a single weekend.
My colleague texted me last Saturday: "14,812 crossings this year already. Up 42% from last year." I had to read it twice.
Vanhemelryck's Alliance union is leading the charge against a proposed law that would actually require French police to enter the water and stop boats from launching. Because apparently getting their feet wet is where they draw teh line.
What He Really Said (And It's Ugly)
In July last year, this 51-year-old union boss went on record saying: "Even my Muslim colleagues are fed up with the scum, the pests, the young people of foreign origin in working-class neighbourhoods who are a pain and who are never punished."
Those aren't my words. That's a direct quote from the guy whose officers are supposed to be stopping Channel crossings.
Robert Jenrick didn't mince words when I reached out for comment: "No wonder the French union bosses are refusing to get their feet wet and stop migrant boats coming to Britain - they just want to see the back of them."
The Detention Center Scam
Here's where it gets really rich. The Alliance union wants to actually reduce the number of migrants they hold in detention centers. They're pushing to cut capacity at the Coquelles facility from 104 to 74 people.
Their reasoning? The migrants are "too violent" and they don't have enough staff.
So what happens to those 30 extra people who won't be detained? They get released on bail, immediately disappear, and hop on the next dinghy to Dover. Problem solved... for France.
A union source told me: "We are having to look after hardened criminals while they are processed, and do not have the staff numbers to cope." Poor them.
Deaths Don't Stop the Politics
Ten people have died in Channel crossings this year alone. You'd think that might motivate some action, but apparently not.
Alliance members are using these deaths as justification to refuse entering the water at all. One source explained: "If there are 80 people on an overcrowded boat, including women and children, then it is extremely dangerous to try and stop them."
Fair point, except they're not trying alternative solutions either.
Last October, a 19-year-old from Mali attacked other detainees and police officers at Coquelles. Local Alliance rep Sliman Hamzi said: "We've seen scenes of colleagues being lynched." Dramatic much?
Everyone's Fed Up
Lee Anderson from Reform UK put it bluntly: "If France doesn't want these migrants, why should British taxpayers foot the bill for their transport, housing, and clothing?"
Even Home Secretary Yvette Cooper finally lost her patience last week, publicly slamming French officials for not intercepting boats "as swiftly as possible."
Chris Philp was even more direct: "French Union boss Fabien Vanhemelryk is guilty of flagrant hypocrisy. He slams immigrants in France but then orders his union to refuse to do anything about illegal immigration over the Channel."
A record 1,195 people reached the UK in 19 small boats just last Saturday. And with summer weather improving, officials are bracing for an even bigger surge.
So we've got a French union boss who calls migrants "scum" but won't lift a finger to stop them from becoming Britain's problem. He's happy to take our money while his officers stand on beaches taking Instagram photos of departing dinghies.
Honestly, you've got to admire the brass.
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https://hellofaread.com/politics/theyre-finally-forcing-labours-hand-on-the-grooming-gangs-scandal
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