France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start 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 method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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