France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier 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, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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