France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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