French police are set to start intervening to stop small boats before passengers board them, it is believed, after Keir Starmer pleaded with Emmanuel Macron to act

France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel after Keir Starmer warned the UK has “no effective deterrent” in the sea.

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In a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron, which was leaked to French media, the PM said it was “essential” that French police intervene to stop overcrowded boats. Security forces will be able to stop small boats at sea before they pick up passengers, the BBC reports.

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According to Le Monde, Mr Starmer wrote to Mr Macron stating: “It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month… We have no effective deterrent in the Channel.”

French authorities denied reports that nets would be used to intercept boats. The French government has wrestled with policing rules in working out how to stop people making the dangerous journey, to the frustration of the UK government.

In the summer police were seen slashing the sides of a boat in Boulogne. But the aggressive approach, under former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, was short-lived.

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Steve Smith, chief executive of charity Care4Calais, warned: “This is a dangerous moment, that will cost more lives. Intercepting boats whilst they are in the water has never been done before because, quite frankly, it puts people at risk.

“When the last Tory Government tried to carry out pushbacks in the Channel, Care4Calais launched a legal challenge – and won. Any attempt to do something similar on the French side of the Channel must face the same level of opposition.”

And he continued: “All these new enforcement tactics will do is risk more lives as French Police hostility, such as intercepting boats in the water, forces people to take ever dangerous measures in order to seek sanctuary in the UK.

“The only way to stop Channel crossings is to create safe routes for people to claim asylum in the UK. It’s such a simple solution that could be introduced today, but sadly politicians appear to lack the basic level of compassion needed to treat fellow humans with such dignity.”

A No10 spokesman said: “You’ll be aware that the PM and President Macron speak regularly on this topic and we always want to go further on our work with our French partners on tackling illegal migration.” He said small boats crossings are “clearly not an issue that can be dealt with by this country acting alone”.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We continue to work closely with our French partners on the shared challenge of illegal migration, and we have already worked to ensure officers in France review their maritime tactics so they can intervene in the shallow waters.”

Source: The Mirror

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