French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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