France will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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