French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" 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 migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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