France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded 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 says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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