A growing political crisis in Paris is threatening to jeopardise plans for French police to intercept migrant boats at sea, it has emerged.
Under current rules, French authorities are prevented from tackling a migrant boat once it has entered the water, unless a vessel is in distress.
But, in what was hailed as a breakthrough in stopping migrant 'taxi boats' in the Channel, the French cabinet agreed in June to change the interpretation of maritime law.
This would enable French police and coastguard vessels to intercept dinghies up to 300 metres from the shoreline.
Yet, according to The Times, the looming collapse of the French government has thrown those plans into doubt.
