France will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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