France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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