The UK pays France half a billion pounds a year to reducing small boat crossings

French police officers have admitted they have orders to do nothing when migrants attempt to cross the English Channel and break into Britain.

Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp was speaking to Gendarmes on a beach, just a few feet from where an illegal launch was taking place.

The UK pays France half a billion pounds a year to fund additional police, surveillance technology and enforcement measures aimed at disrupting people-smuggling gangs and reducing small boat crossings.

Just today, more than 300 illegal immigrants have already reached UK waters and 400 more are in French waters waiting to cross

Standing with the officers, Mr Philp asked: “Why have you allowed the migrants into the water? Why haven't you stopped them?”

One officer shrugged his shoulders and said: “Our order is to let them go.”

“We just have to say to them ‘Don’t do that; it’s dangerous.’”

Astonished, the Shadow Home Secretary asked: “Your orders are not to intervene?”

“There’s also protecting the border as well,” the Tory MP said.

Mr Philp filmed the extraordinary moment as he travelled around the English Channel and coastal regions of France used by people smugglers to find out more about the small boat crisis.

While travelling on a fishing boat yesterday, he spotted the French navy handing over lifejackets and even “waving off” migrants as they made their way towards the UK.

In June, GB News also obtained footage of a similar nature which showed the French navy tossing lifejackets to migrants as they made the crossing.

Earlier, he was involved in a confrontation with a French warship after it fired 17 shots towards the vessel he was on.

“There was no notice or training exercise in place. Felt like warning shots or attempted intimidation,” Mr Philp told GB News, despite claims to the contrary from the French Navy.

“It was alarming. They fired those 17 shots at the closest point of approach with us.

“They didn't shoot them beforehand or afterwards. They shot them when they were very close to our boat.

“I can only imagine it was done to intimidate us. There was no warning given on the radio channels.”

“I'm afraid I don't accept the French government's explanation,” Mr Philp said.