France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... 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 human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
Connected Developments
- Why UK can't just send back asylum seekers to France
- France withdrawing from pledge to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
