France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before 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 prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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