France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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