French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after 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 plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, 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 vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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- Reasons Britain cannot just send back migrants to French territory
- French government backing away from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
