France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger 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 intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers 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 dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently 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, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just return migrants to France
- France backing away from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
