French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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