France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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