26 July 2021 • 12:02am
An inflatable craft carrying migrant men, women and children crosses the shipping lane in the English Channel
Credit: Getty Images
/Dan Kitwood
SIR – The French say that they cannot stop a migrant boat unless it is in distress. If these were private boats, this could be true. However, the migrants pay for their passage, which makes the voyage a commercial operation. These commercial vessels must therefore meet the standards required to conform with safety rules. The person in charge is also required to hold a certificate of competence.
If a vessel is stopped and fails the inspection, it should be escorted to the nearest port in France.
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