French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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