France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left 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 boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
Related Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just return migrants to France
- France withdrawing from commitment to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
