French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept 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 strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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