France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions 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 comment.
Connected Updates
- Why UK can't just return asylum seekers to France
- French government withdrawing from commitment to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
