France will start stopping small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
Related Developments
- Reasons UK cannot just return migrants to France
- French government withdrawing from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
