France will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
Connected Developments
- Why Britain cannot just send back migrants to French territory
- French government backing away from commitment to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
