France to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
Related Developments
- Reasons UK can't just return migrants to French territory
- French government withdrawing from commitment to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
