French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left 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 hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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