France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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