French Authorities Obstructing Charity Rows Across The Channel! True or False?

[nortada]

Have been hearing continuing rumors that the French Authorities have been refusing entry to crews rowing the channel.
Understand, to date, on reaching the French side the rowers jump into the water, are picked up by the safety boat & returned to UK.
Believe it has now escalated to the safety boats being excluded from picking up the rowers & in the latest incident, a large clipper was threatened with heavy fines?
Must admit this is all hear-say so is it fact or fiction?

 

[Cardo]

As I understand it, France does not allow people to enter the country by non-standard means. So, no swimming, rowing, kitesurfing, etc. across the channel. When people have done cross-channels in the past, as you say, they get picked up just before they arrive and brought back to the UK or land on France by boat.

It would appear the French have decided to put a stop to this practice?

 

[nortada]

As I understand it, France does not allow people to enter the country by non-standard means. So, no swimming, rowing, kitesurfing, etc. across the channel. When people have done cross-channels in the past, as you say, they get picked up just before they arrive and brought back to the UK or land on France by boat.

It would appear the French have decided to put a stop to this practice?

Thanks for the feed back - now understand the clipper was the subject of 'some immigration irregularities'.

Still seems a bit funny as apparently the vessel was transiting between UK & France & as understood it there are no immigration issues within the EU?

 

[sailorman]

Thanks for the feed back - now understand the clipper was the subject of 'some immigration irregularities'.

Still seems a bit funny as apparently the vessel was transiting between UK & France & as understood it there are no immigration issues within the EU?

The UK are not signatories to The Shengen Agreement