France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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