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.
In the meantime, dangerously overcrowded inflatable boats continue to leave the coast on an almost daily basis, from a shallow tidal canal near the port of Dunkirk.
While the man in charge of border security in the UK, Martin Hewitt, has already expressed frustration at French delays, the BBC has now heard from a number of sources in France that promises of a new maritime doctrine - which would see patrol boats attempt to intercept inflatable boats and pull them back to shore – are hollow.
It's just a political stunt. It's much blah-blah, said one figure closely linked to French maritime security.
The maritime prefecture for the Channel told the BBC that the new doctrine on taxi-boats was still being studied.
Former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau was widely credited, not least in the UK, with driving a more aggressive approach in the Channel. That culminated last July with a summit between President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The focus then was on plans to intercept the so-called taxi boats now used by the smugglers to cruise close to the coastline, collecting passengers already standing in the water.
But days before the summit, French police wading into the sea to slash the sides of a taxi-boat caught in the waves was witnessed. In London, the prime minister's spokesman reacted to this footage with optimism, suggesting it was evidence of the French taking tougher action.
However, since then, Retailleau has lost his job as minister amidst a series of political reshuffles, leading to distractions in the French government that appear to prioritize other crises.
Meanwhile, a retired chip shop owner in Gravelines reported multiple instances of overcrowded boats leaving the coast. Local residents express concern over the apparent inaction of law enforcement, particularly given a retired marine expert's comment that the shallow hazards in the Canal de L'Aa could allow for safe interventions.
Legal and ethical complications hinder the French police from intervening at sea, primarily due to fears of increasing fatalities or legal repercussions for involved officers. As a result, frustrations mount among volunteers on the French coast who continue to rescue migrants while grappling with bureaucratic obstacles.
Despite the challenges, there remains an ongoing commitment to patrol beaches and target smugglers on land, although the execution of these plans remains uncertain as political dynamics evolve. The UK continues to engage with France under the Sandhurst Treaty, highlighting the complexity and urgency of the migrant crisis on both sides of the Channel.
