Shocking moment army of migrants overpower armed French police before boarding boat to UK

Shocking moment army of migrants overpower armed French police before jumping on boat to UK (Image: Getty - FILE PHOTO)

A video has captured the shocking moment an army of migrants overwhelmed armed French police before boarding a boat to the UK.

New footage shows a crowd of people rushing towards a beach at Gravelines, a commune on France's north coast and southwest of Dover.

The group - reportedly composed primarily of Vietnamese and Sudanese migrants - was seen hiding in sand dunes before making a beeline for a “taxi boat”.

Armed gendarmes were seen frantically firing teargas at the migrants, The Sun reported, but they ultimately failed to stop them from reaching the vessel.

While they managed to deflate one of the boats before it was able to leave the shore, another quickly followed in what insiders said was an exercise like "playing whack-a-mole".

The Sun reported that its journalists spotted French police heading towards the boat in golf buggies, giving chase and firing teargas at the same time.

The video shows some police meeting the boat on the shore, and one officer can be seen popping the raft with a small knife.

The migrants then disembark, some aggressively kicking at the water nearby and sending splashes in the direction of police.

While the initial attempt was unsuccessful, another boat can be seen quickly rounding the corner, with migrants boarding before undertaking the six-hour trip to England.

A French police source told the publication that the situation is not uncommon, with boats leaving seaside services overwhelmed.

They said: “It’s an impossible task — there are just too many boats now. It’s like playing whack-a-mole. You stop one boat, and then another arrives."

The Government has insisted that its controversial Rwanda bill will slash the number of people travelling from France to England, but Irish officials have warned it will just kick up the number of people arriving on their shores.

Irish deputy prime minister Michael Martin has claimed the Government's bill is a "knee-jerk reaction" following its failure to control migration after Brexit.

He coined the term "Rwanda effect" while claiming 80 percent of asylum seekers who crossed to Ireland had come from Northern Ireland.

He said: "I believe the Rwanda effect is impacting on Ireland. And I think that didn’t happen today or yesterday. It’s been growing since the first iteration and publication of that strategy around Rwanda."