France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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