French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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