France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
Connected Developments
- Why UK cannot just send back migrants to French territory
- France backing away from commitment to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
