French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways 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 contacted for response.
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