France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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