France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
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 intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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