French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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