France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
Connected Developments
- Why UK can't just return migrants to France
- French government backing away from commitment to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
