French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after 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 initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just send back migrants to French territory
- French government backing away from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
