France will start stopping small boats in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
Connected Updates
- Reasons UK cannot just return asylum seekers to French territory
- France backing away from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
