French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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