France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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