French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons UK can't just send back asylum seekers to French territory
- French government withdrawing from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
