French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid 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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