France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
Connected Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just send back migrants to France
- French government backing away from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
