France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons UK can't just return migrants to French territory
- French government withdrawing from commitment to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
