France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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