France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept 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.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
Connected Updates
- Reasons Britain can't just send back asylum seekers to French territory
- France withdrawing from commitment to intercept asylum boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
