French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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