The government of the Great Britain announced that armed police officers will be deployed on ferries traveling between the UK and France and the Netherlands, since the routes have been unguarded and potentially vulnerable, as passengers are not subjected to searches or body scans before boarding.

According to a senior counter-terrorism source, the “ferries are the weak link when it comes to policing transport against terror threats,” and the deployment will act as a “visible deterrent.”

Government officials confirmed that 40 officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) will be placed on the cross-Channel ferries from Dover and the ones sailing between Newcastle and the Netherlands, to “protect (UK) national security” amid the “threat of terrorism.”

The 40 CNC officers will be deployed starting from July, having been made available after nuclear power stations were decommissioned.

“The government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security, and our priority remains maintaining the safety and security of our citizens,” the UK government spokesperson said.

The official added that the move was taken as part of efforts to strengthen “security by fully equipping law enforcement and emergency responders to respond to terrorist incidents, no matter where they occur.”

The move comes months after the UK and France signed the maritime security treaty to improve cooperation between the nations. The July 2021 agreement will come into force when both sides have ratified it in a bid to prevent a high-security incident from affecting the route.

The joint agreement sees the UK and France share security information on potential threats, allowing them to respond swifter and stronger to potential incidents, as well as coordinate joint responses.