French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant 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 people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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