France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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