French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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