French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt 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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