Race to the Channel: Migrants rush Gravelines beach in daring bid for UK crossing

Dozens brave tear gas and tides in desperate attempt to board boats bound for the UK

Last updated: August 12, 2025 | 12:24

2 MIN READ

Migrants try to board a smuggler's boat in an attempt to cross the English Channel off the beach of Gravelines, northern France. In a dramatic scene unfolding at dawn on August 12, 2025, dozens of migrants sprinted across Gravelines beach in north of France in a desperate attempt to board a smuggler’s boat bound for the UK.

AFP-SAMEER AL-DOUMY

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The beach, located near Dunkirk, has become a hotspot for Channel crossings as smuggling operations intensify. Above, migrants run to try to board a smuggler's boat in an attempt to cross the English Channel off the beach of Gravelines.

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French police officers stand as migrants walk back after failing to board a boat in an attempt to cross the English Channel off the beach of Gravelines.

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Migrants walk back after failing to board a boat. Wading into the chilly waters of the English Channel, men, women, and children signaled inflatable boats lurking offshore.

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Migrants hide in the dunes as they wait to board a boat. The incident reflects growing pressure along the French coastline, despite joint UK-France efforts to stem illegal crossings.

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With over 78 migrant deaths reported in Channel crossings in 2024 alone, the stakes remain high. Yet scenes like Gravelines continue to highlight the human cost and complexity of Europe’s migration crisis.

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A taxi-boat sails to pick up migrants to attempt to cross the English Channel off the beach of Gravelines, northern France.

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French police, equipped with riot gear, fired tear gas in an attempt to prevent the boarding, but several migrants managed to push off before authorities could intervene.

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