French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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