French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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