France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
Connected Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just return asylum seekers to France
- France backing away from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
