France will start stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
Connected Developments
- Reasons Britain can't just return migrants to French territory
- French government withdrawing from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
