French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method 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 more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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