
Hoards of African migrants clamour to be let passed on the street, some face the peril of the treacherous rocks by the beach in their desperation and all the while determined policeman dressed in riot gear stand their ground.

Dramatic footage from the Italian border town of Ventimiglia has captured the attempts of hundreds of men, women and children - mostly Sudanese, Eritreans and Ethiopians - to cross into France from Italy.

More than 100 migrants managed to break through police barriers at Balzi Rossi beach - despite officers' attempt to deter them with pepper spray as video from the town shows.

Hoards of African migrants clamour to be let passed on the street, some face the peril of the treacherous rocks by the beach in their desperation and all the while determined policeman dressed in riot gear stand their ground

Dramatic footage from the Italian border town of Ventimiglia has captured the attempts of hundreds of men, women and children - mostly Sudanese, Eritreans and Ethiopians - to cross into France from Italy

More than 100 migrants managed to break through police barriers at Balzi Rossi beach - despite officers' attempt to deter them with pepper spray as video from the town shows

Migrants stand on the rocks after forcing a police block and reaching Menton, a French town on the border with Italy

When failing to pass the riot police on the road the more adventurous men head down to the rocky beach, dashed by the agitated sea, in attempt to side step officials.

One man can even be seen swimming out in the Mediterranean.

It was not immediately clear how they got past police cordons.

After breaking through the 'successful' migrants stopped on rocks near the port at the French Riviera town of Menton.

They were still there in the evening under the surveillance of French police, said Ventimiglia police commander Giorgio Marenco.

'Both the Italian and French forces at the border were taken by surprise,' Marenco said.

Dramatic footage from the Italian border town of Ventimiglia has captured the attempts of hundreds of men, women and children to cross into France from Italy

More than 100 migrants managed to break through police barriers at Balzi Rossi beach - despite officers' attempt to deter them with pepper spray as video from the town shows

The French Interior Ministry and representatives of the Alpes-Maritimes region around Menton were not available for comment

After breaking through the 'successful' migrants stopped on rocks near the port at the French Riviera town of Menton

Most of the more than 94,000 people who have arrived in Italy by boat this year travelled from sub-Saharan Africa to Libya

When failing to pass the riot police on the road the more adventurous men head down to the rocky beach, dashed by the agitated sea, in attempt to side step officials

From Libya, people smugglers, who have taken advantage of the breakdown of order there, charged migrants hundreds of dollars for the passage, often in unseaworthy boats

The city of about 24,000 residents opened a reception centre to house the hundreds of migrants who had been sleeping rough under a bridge

The French Interior Ministry and representatives of the Alpes-Maritimes region around Menton were not available for comment.

Many of the hundreds of migrants who arrive by boat in Italy every day aim for northern Europe.

Ventimiglia's craggy seashore became the site of a temporary migrant camp last year, which was later cleared away by police.

Most of the more than 94,000 people who have arrived in Italy by boat this year travelled from sub-Saharan Africa to Libya where people smugglers, who have taken advantage of the breakdown of order there, charged them hundreds of dollars for the passage, often in unseaworthy boats.

When failing to pass the riot police on the road the more adventurous men head down to the rocky beach, dashed by the agitated sea, in attempt to side step officials

It wasn't at first clear how they got past police cordons. 'Both the Italian and French forces at the border were taken by surprise,' said Ventimiglia police commander Giorgio Marenco

One man can even be seen swimming out in the Mediterranean. Many of the hundreds of migrants who arrive by boat in Italy every day aim for northern Europe

Ventimiglia's craggy seashore became the site of a temporary migrant camp last year, which was later cleared away by police

Most of the more than 94,000 people who have arrived in Italy by boat this year travelled from sub-Saharan Africa to Libya where people smugglers exort and endanger them

'The migrants who have reached Ventimiglia over the past three years have one aim: to pass into France,' Marenco said

About 150 migrants left the centre shortly after midnight on Thursday and walked to the shore, where they remained for hours before heading for France

Another group of migrants who abandoned crossing at Balzi Rossi beach tried to reach France by walking along the rail tracks

One teenager was hit by a train during the treacherous journey and had to be transferred by helicopter to the San Martino Hospital in Genoa

A video posted on the website of Nice Matin newspaper showed a stream of people picking their way across rocks, followed by police in riot gear

The city of about 24,000 residents opened a reception centre to house the hundreds of migrants who had been sleeping rough under a bridge.

About 150 migrants left the centre shortly after midnight on Thursday and walked to the shore, where they remained for hours before heading for France.

Another group of migrants who abandoned crossing at Balzi Rossi beach tried to reach France by walking along the rail tracks.

One teenager was hit by a train during the treacherous journey and had to be transferred by helicopter to the San Martino Hospital in Genoa. He remains intubated and in a serious condition.

'The migrants who have reached Ventimiglia over the past three years have one aim: to pass into France,' Marenco said.