French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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