French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs 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 comment.
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- France withdrawing from commitment to stop migrant boats
