French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons Britain can't just send back asylum seekers to French territory
- French government withdrawing from commitment to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
