France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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