French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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