French authorities will start intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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- Reasons Britain can't just return migrants to French territory
- France withdrawing from commitment to stop migrant boats
UK immigration
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