French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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