French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
Related Developments
- Why UK cannot just return asylum seekers to French territory
- France backing away from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
