France will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities 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 asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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