French police in UK deal authorised to use water cannon on asylum seekers
8 reported
French riot police deployed in northern France under a £660m deal with the UK are authorised to use water cannon against asylum seekers, according to a Guardian report citing informed sources. Two specialist policing units, including a 50-officer riot squad, have begun working to prevent asylum seekers and people smugglers from launching small boats under the UK-France deal. The sources said French riot officers from the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) are free to request the use of water cannon, CS gas and batons as part of their public order powers. Use of water cannon is prohibited in Great Britain but can be deployed in Northern Ireland, where they were used last week to quell anti-immigration protests. A refugee charity criticized the potential use of water cannon, with Care4Calais chief executive Steve Smith calling it a “sickening escalation.” The announcement of the deployment was made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains on Wednesday.
What’s reported
French riot police under a £660m UK deal are authorised to use water cannon against asylum seekers, per informed sources.
Two specialist units, including a 50-officer riot squad, have begun work to prevent small boat launches.
CRS officers can request water cannon, CS gas and batons as part of public order powers.
Water cannon use is prohibited in Great Britain but allowed in Northern Ireland, where they were used last week.
Care4Calais chief executive Steve Smith called potential water cannon use “sickening.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the deployment at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains on Wednesday.
A Home Office statement said the CRS unit is “specially trained in the use of riot and crowd control tactics.”
Home Office sources said the money for the French riot squad comes from French government funds, though deployment was agreed under the £660m deal.
Key figures
Steve Smith, chief executive of Care4Calais
Keir Starmer, prime minister
Theresa May, former home secretary (mentioned in context of 2015 ruling)
Shabana Mahmood, home secretary (mentioned in context of last month’s plans)
Sources: The Guardian
