France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing 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 past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
Related Developments
- Reasons Britain can't just send back asylum seekers to France
- French government backing away from pledge to stop asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
