France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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