French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" 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 authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
Connected Updates
- Why Britain cannot just send back asylum seekers to French territory
- French government withdrawing from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
