French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no 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 infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed 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 coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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