French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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