Channel crossings: Priti Patel authorises turning back of migrant boats
Priti Patel has authorised Border Force to turn back boats carrying migrants at sea to prevent them reaching the UK.
More than 1,500 migrants have crossed the English Channel by boat this week.
The home secretary and her French counterpart discussed the issue on Wednesday but failed to agree new measures to prevent the crossings.
Her plan to force boats back into French waters is also likely to be opposed by French authorities who consider it to be dangerous.
Under international maritime law, people at risk of losing their lives at sea must be rescued.
The government has said it needs to use every possible tactic at its disposal to tackle people smuggling, while the Home Office said it continued to evaluate and test a range of safe and legal options to find ways of stopping small boats making the dangerous journey.
The Daily Telegraph reported that Ms Patel had secured legal advice for vessels to redirect small boats away from British waters.
Sources told the paper the tactics would only be used when it was deemed safe and in limited circumstances, with Border Force staff being trained.
In a tweet Ms Patel said she had held constructive talks with French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, adding: “I made clear that delivering results and stopping crossings were an absolute priority for the British people.”
But in a letter to the home secretary ahead of their meeting Mr Darmanin said that the French position on interception at sea was unchanged.
“Safeguarding human lives at sea takes priority over considerations of nationality, status and migratory policy, out of strict respect for the international maritime law governing search and rescue at sea,” he wrote.
He said that employing turn-around tactics “would risk having a negative impact on our co-operation”.
Mr Darmanin also said that while there had been an increase in the number of people making the crossing this was down to people smugglers using larger boats and other tactics such as decoy boats.
Agencies