France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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