French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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