Shadow Home Secretary claims French warship fired warning shots near his vessel in Channel

Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, has accused the French Navy of attempted intimidation after a warship fired 17 live rounds close to his vessel while he was monitoring small boat migrant crossings in the English Channel, an incident that risks igniting a fresh diplomatic row between London and Paris amid longstanding tensions over Channel border enforcement. The Conservative MP was conducting a broadcast interview with the BBC when the French gunboat, which was operating in the international shipping lane, approached his fishing vessel and unleashed the barrage of ammunition, an act Mr Philp described as having occurred without prior notice or any indication that a training exercise was underway. "On the Channel today monitoring illegal migrant crossings," he said in a statement. "As I was being interviewed by the BBC just now a French warship approached close and fired 17 live rounds behind us. There was no notice or training exercise in place. Felt like warning shots or attempted intimidation."

The French Navy, which plays a significant role in patrolling the Channel and often escorts overcrowded migrant vessels from French coastal waters into British jurisdiction, where they are met by UK Border Force personnel, has not yet responded to Mr Philp's allegations. The incident comes against a backdrop of heightened maritime activity in the region, with warm weather driving a surge in small boat crossings; Home Office figures indicate that 881 migrants arrived in Dover since crossings resumed on Wednesday following several days of windy conditions, including 165 people on a single 42ft-long vessel, surpassing the previous record of 128 for the most migrants arriving from France on one boat. The French Navy's routine practice of escorting the crammed dinghies has been a source of tension between the two countries, and Mr Philp's account of live rounds being discharged near his vessel will raise questions about the rules of engagement followed by French patrols in the busy shipping lane.

The episode is likely to place additional strain on the already fraught relationship between Britain and France over migration policy, with the UK having paid close to £1 billion for French assistance in preventing illegal crossings. Home Office statistics show that removals of individuals present in the country illegally have reached record levels, with nearly 70,000 people removed or deported, a year-on-year increase of 41 per cent, while asylum claims have fallen by 12 per cent. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are bearing down on small boat crossings, with removals at record levels and asylum claims down by 12 per cent. We have removed or deported almost 70,000 people who were here illegally — an increase of 41 per cent." The government has faced sustained pressure to address the issue, and the latest figures are likely to be cited by ministers as evidence that the current approach is delivering results, though critics argue that the rate of crossings remains unacceptably high.

Mr Philp's decision to make his allegation public will intensify scrutiny of French naval operations in the Channel and could prompt formal diplomatic representations from the Foreign Office, depending on the findings of any subsequent investigation. The Metropolitan Police and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency have not commented on the incident, and it remains unclear whether any official complaint has been lodged with French authorities. The French Navy, which has historically declined to comment on operational matters in the Channel, may be required to clarify the circumstances surrounding the firing of live rounds, particularly given that a senior British political figure was present. For now, Mr Philp's account stands as a serious allegation of what he characterises as an act of intimidation, a claim that, if substantiated, would represent a significant deterioration in cross-Channel cooperation on migration and maritime security.