France will start stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
Related Updates
- Why Britain cannot just return asylum seekers to French territory
- French government backing away from commitment to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
