France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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