France will start intercepting small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline 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 deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval 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 stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
Connected Updates
- Reasons Britain cannot just send back migrants to French territory
- French government backing away from pledge to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
