France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving 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 deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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