France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions 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 Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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