French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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