France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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