French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, 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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