France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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Channel crossings
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