French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, 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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