France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "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 official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
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 again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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