France to begin stopping small boats in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
Connected Developments
- Reasons Britain can't just send back migrants to France
- French government backing away from commitment to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
