France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable 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 former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust 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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