French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid 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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