France will start stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
Related Developments
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- French government withdrawing from commitment to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
