France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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