France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
Related Updates
- Reasons Britain can't just return asylum seekers to France
- French government backing away from pledge to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
