French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons Britain cannot just return migrants to France
- French government withdrawing from pledge to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
