French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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