France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and 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 collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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