France will start stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk 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 maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
Related Developments
- Why Britain cannot just return asylum seekers to French territory
- France backing away from pledge to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
