French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading 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 migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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