France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
Related Updates
- Reasons Britain can't just send back asylum seekers to France
- France backing away from commitment to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
