Campaigns will pass through safe countries

Britain uses nets to disrupt immigration boats

The authorities are using various methods to stop illegal immigration.

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British authorities planned to use nets to prevent migrants on boats from crossing the canal, according to a former Royal Marines, who had been assigned the task of stopping these arrivals.

Dan O'Mahoney, who works in border protection at the Ministry of the Interior, said that the authorities were about to use the nets, as part of the "safe return tactic", which would send migrants back to France on British ships.

This tactic was intended to render the boats inoperable, O'Mahoni said, but was disrupted due to France's refusal to accept the migrants who had been intercepted.

O'Mahoney explained that the plan was designed to stem the flow of migrants into the UK;

Using social media campaigns to dissuade illegal immigrants from trying to cross the canal, and asking British officials abroad, has urged migrants to seek asylum in the first safe country they reach.

"What we are saying is that the campaigns will pass through several safe countries with fully civilized and fully functioning asylum systems," O'Mahoni added.

The former Marine said that the authorities were "exploring methods" to repatriate the migrants, as the daily number of secret arrivals exceeded 300.

"We are definitely on the verge of being able to implement a tactic and intervene safely and transfer the migrants to our ship, then send them back to France," he added.

It was one of different methods "we may use over the next few months," he said.

There has been speculation that the measures under consideration include the use of water cannons to push boats back and transport refugees to abandoned ferries moored at sea, or thousands of miles away on Ascension or Saint Helena, in the South Atlantic.

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