France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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