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, the BBC has now heard from a number of sources in France that promises of a new maritime doctrine - which would see patrol boats attempt to intercept inflatable boats and pull them back to shore – are hollow.
It's just a political stunt. It's much blah-blah, said one figure closely linked to French maritime security.
The maritime prefecture for the Channel told the BBC that the new doctrine on taxi-boats was still being studied.
Former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau was widely credited, not least in the UK, with driving a more aggressive approach in the Channel that aimed to intercept the so-called taxi boats used by smugglers to collect passengers from the shore.
Despite recent promises of interventions, internal shifts in the French government and competing political crises have led to skepticism about policy changes ever being implemented.
A retired chip shop owner living beside a canal in Gravelines reported witnessing multiple boats leaving in a single day, underscoring the persistent issue.
Legal and moral dilemmas further complicate the situation, as fears abound that aggressive interventions at sea may heighten risks for migrants and security personnel alike.
Despite these challenges, French authorities continue to operate a sizable and sophisticated coastal security operation, dedicated to addressing not just migration but also halting smuggling activities from land.
