French Army embarrassed in Calais
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France's Defense Ministry issues a statement following leaked footage of French soldiers doing skidding circles in a military vehicle in front of a migrant camp in Calais, northern France.
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France's armed forces considered the incident "an unacceptable scene" and launched an immediate investigation.
The French military confirmed Sunday it was launching an investigation after a viral video appeared to show troops doing skidding circles in a military four-wheel-drive vehicle in front of a migrant camp.
The video was recorded in the northern city of Calais, which for several years has been a hub for migrants seeking to reach Britain.
A plusieurs reprises, le véhicule de vigipirate occupé par des militaires armés est passé dans les flaques et devant les tentes sur ce terrain vague à la sortie de Calais où vivent environ 500 personnes pic.twitter.com/MzFLfzdPFK
— Louis Witter (@LouisWitter) December 19, 2021
On Twitter, the Frenched armed forces considered the incident "an unacceptable scene" and launched an immediate investigation.
Armed forces spokesperson Herve Grandjean said that "this behavior is totally at odds with the values of our armed forces."
The show ended as soon as the vehicle ended up stuck in the mud as it sought to turn another sharp corner.
Social media users said other troops were called out to dig it out with spades.
Il semblerait qu’à la fin, ça ne soit pas la pelle qui gagne pour sauver le véhicule vigipirate embourbé dans un campement à Calais.
— Louis Witter (@LouisWitter) December 19, 2021
La beauté de l’armée, ça reste tout de même l’entraide de ses soldats (après un drift foiré tout de même) pic.twitter.com/m9XJIjzSPs
A full statement from the French Defence Ministry confirmed that the incident had taken place earlier Sunday involving troops carrying out a patrol in Calais.
"One of the soldiers, the driver, behaved completely inappropriately by using dangerous maneuvers, which resulted in the vehicle getting stuck," the statement read.
Sanctions will be decided once responsibility has been apportioned, it added.
Ongoing tensions between France, UK
The footage comes at a hugely sensitive moment after 27 migrants drowned last month when their boat sank in the Channel while trying to reach Britain.
The tragedy, the biggest such loss of life since northern France became a hub for migrants seeking to cross the Channel, added to growing post-Brexit tensions between Britain and France over how to handle the situation.
London accuses Paris of not doing enough to stop the migrants crossing, while France alleges that the migrants want to cross because of more relaxed unregulated labour practices in Britain, especially in London.
In addition, Paris and London have been in an ongoing dispute over fishing licenses, with the former accusing the UK of ignoring the Brexit deal's provisions on the issue.
The Brexit trade deal stipulates that EU fishing boats may still fish in British waters if they obtain a license, on the condition that they prove they had previously been fishing in said area.
