France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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