France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
Related Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just send back migrants to French territory
- France backing away from commitment to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
