🔗 Share this article

France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.

"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."

Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.

Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.

This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.

Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.

The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.

Connected Developments

• Reasons Britain cannot just send back migrants to France
• France withdrawing from commitment to intercept migrant boats