France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking 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 small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
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 sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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