In brief
During a BBC interview in the English Channel, a French patrol boat PSP Flamant fired 17 shots at a British MP, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, while no warning was issued. Philp interpreted the shots as intimidation to silence coverage of migrant crossings. French authorities said the firing was part of routine training and unrelated to the presence of the British vessel. The incident raises questions about the UK–France coordination over migrant enforcement and the use of force in international waters.
During a live BBC interview on the sea, a French navy patrol boat named PSP Flamant fired 17 shots at British Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp. The shots were fired from about 300 metres away and were not accompanied by any warning signs, leaving Philp to suspect an intimidation attempt aimed at curbing the coverage of migrant boat crossings.
Philp described the event as “the most unusual moment in the quiet of the Channel.” He added that the lack of warning made it “intimidating” and an attempt to stop media scrutiny.
The French authorities insisted the firing was part of a routine handgun training exercise and stated the British MP’s vessel was well outside the engagement range. The patrol boat, crewed by French marines, was not engaged in any anti‑smuggler operation at the time.
Philp responded by questioning France’s seriousness about protecting the Channel’s waters and its apparent reluctance to intervene against illegal crossings. He said, “If France showed people smugglers the same level of seriousness they showed me, the boats would stop,” adding that French naval activity sometimes “waves them through” and then relies on the UK coastguard to deal with them.
Shortly after the incident, a UK spokesperson said the Home Office was in contact with French officials to clarify the situation. The incident echoes a previous event a month earlier when a Russian warship off Plymouth conducted a live‑fire artillery exercise.
