France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported 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 ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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