France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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