French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
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 urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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