OPV presence addresses instability before it spreads

In this argument, waiting until displaced people reach the English Channel means policy is responding after the underlying crisis has matured. River-class OPVs deployed in Southeast Asia illustrate the lower-cost alternative of maintaining awareness and relationships abroad. Similar ships off Africa could help local states resist industrial fishing fleets that strip coastal communities of livelihoods. The historical comparison with British East and West African squadrons frames presence as self-interested conflict prevention that supports trade, stability, and maritime governance close to the source of trouble.