French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
Related Developments
- Why UK can't just return asylum seekers to French territory
- France backing away from pledge to stop asylum boats
