France backing away from pledge to intercept migrant boats, sources tell BBC

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,…