France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, 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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