French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no 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 collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered 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 waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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