France is backing away from a recent commitment to intervene more forcefully at sea to stop small boats from crossing the English Channel, according to multiple sources contacted by the BBC.
There is evidence that France's current political turmoil is partly to blame, but it will come as a blow to the UK government's attempts to tackle the issue.
Meanwhile, dangerously overcrowded inflatable boats continue to leave the coast almost daily, particularly from a shallow tidal canal near Dunkirk.
The UK border security chief, Martin Hewitt, has already expressed frustration at delays from the French, and multiple sources in France indicate that commitments to a new maritime doctrine—which would involve patrolling boats intercepting inflatables and returning them to shore—are lacking substance.
It's just a political stunt. It's much blah-blah, remarked an insider linked to French maritime security.
While the French maritime prefecture stated that the new doctrine focused on interception was still being studied, there is a lack of urgency noted in their approach.
Former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau supported aggressive measures to manage maritime crossings; however, with his departure from office amid governmental reshuffles, the French government appears distracted by other pressing issues.
Despite the ongoing interventions on land to combat smuggling, current maritime laws restrict police interventions at sea to life-threatening situations, leaving fewer options to effectively manage the surge of small-boat crossings.
Local residents report seeing multiple departures of migrant boats each day and express frustration with the authorities' inaction. Observations of police patrol boats not intervening to stop boats highlight the vulnerabilities in current border security measures.
The situation raises concerns about the legal implications of forced interventions and potential fatalities, which remain critical to discussions on maritime policy revisions.
As political pressures mount both in the UK and France, the overall coordination efforts to address illicit crossings remain complicated by policy hesitance and the humanitarian implications tied to maritime law.
