French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for 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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