France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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