French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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