France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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