French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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