France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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