France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, 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 personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention 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 official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
Related Updates
- Reasons UK cannot just send back asylum seekers to French territory
- France backing away from commitment to stop asylum boats
