France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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