France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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