French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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