French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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