France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt 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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