France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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