France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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