France will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
Connected Developments
- Reasons Britain can't just send back migrants to France
- France withdrawing from pledge to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
