French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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