French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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