French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift 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 maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted 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 deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats 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 done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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