France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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