French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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