France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
Related Developments
- Why UK can't just return migrants to French territory
- French government backing away from pledge to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
