French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
Related Updates
- Reasons Britain cannot just return asylum seekers to France
- France withdrawing from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
