French coastguards demand halt to ‘deadly plans’ to intercept small boats

Union says UK-French Channel deal is inhumane and contravenes international conventions

French coastguards have called for plans to intercept small boats in the Channel to be halted because of the risk to life. The intervention came as the Home Office confirmed France was reviewing its “maritime doctrine” about the plan.

In a letter to the French customs director general, Florian Colas, the customs union Solidaires Douanes, which includes coastguards among its members, describes the plans to intercept small boats up to 300 metres from the French shore as “a deadly doctrine, which contravenes international conventions to which France is a signatory”.