France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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