France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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