France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect 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 currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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