You have avoided answering the pertinent bit:
When it finds an unregistered inflatable passenger ship (shall we call it) heading for the UK it escorts it to the half way mark and calls the UK SARS vessels to intercept.
Rescuing people in distress in the French territorial waters is the responsibility of the French, I agree.
Similarly it is the responsibility of the British to rescue those in distress in UK waters.
The problem arises by determining who or what is in distress. How do forcibly board a boat that is not, in its own opinion, in distress?
But I don't think the French are in a blame-game over the asylum seekers. I suspect they're prepared to oblige the UK, as much as the UK is prepared to pay for. When it becomes obvious to the UK that accepting we need to contribute to the global refugee problem, and that is better value for money than paying the French, we might regain some national credibility.
Perhaps we should be prepared to contribute to the global refugee 'problem' according to our ability. But we both know that won't happen.
