French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... 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 protecting lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed 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 pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid 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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