France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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