French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although 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 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 response.
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