France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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