French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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