France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
Related Developments
- Reasons Britain cannot just send back asylum seekers to France
- France withdrawing from pledge to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
