France will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, 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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