France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
Related Updates
- Why Britain cannot just send back asylum seekers to France
- French government backing away from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
