French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade 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 cannot just return migrants to French territory
- France backing away from commitment to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
