French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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