France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
Connected Developments
- Reasons Britain cannot just send back migrants to France
- French government withdrawing from pledge to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
