France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons Britain cannot just return asylum seekers to France
- French government withdrawing from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
