French police unions block Channel crossings crackdown
The Prime Minister's plans to clamp down on migrants crossing the Channel have reportedly been halted due to French police refusing to stop the boats.
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Police unions are blocking an agreement to intercept the dinghies, arguing officers could be prosecuted if their interventions lead to deaths.
President Macron agreed in July to allow police to intervene to stop boats in shallow waters after months of negotiations.
However, the agreement fell short of UK demands for French police to intercept boats up to 300 metres from the shore.
The scope of police action remains limited because they are only allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrants.
Unions have prevented plans for the Maritime Gendarmerie to take more forceful actions to stop the boats at sea, The Times reported.
These rougher tactics inlcude jamming propellers, on the grounds that officers could be liable if their actions accidentally resulted in deaths.
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Alliance, France’s largest police union, said it was too dangerous for officers to try to force overcrowded boats to change course.
“If there are 80 or more people on a dinghy, including women and children, police would be taking a big risk if they try to stop them and people fall into the water or the boat capsizes,” the union said.
In a letter to Macron last month, Starmer said it was urgent for French police to start intercepting boats because there was “no effective deterrent in the Channel” against migrants making the perilous crossings.
“It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month,” the PM wrote.
Under existing rules, officers can intervene on the shore to prevent boats setting off, but are powerless once they are at sea.
A French interior ministry source told The Mail on Sunday: “The police want guarantees that there will be no prosecutions in case of death or injury, but prosecutors say that is impossible.
"Meetings between lawyers and police chiefs have taken place over the past month, but the judicial authorities remain firm — there will be no waiving of criminal liability if things go wrong.”