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.