France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt 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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