France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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