France will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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