French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence 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 "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as 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."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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