French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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- Why Britain cannot just send back asylum seekers to French territory
- French government withdrawing from pledge to stop migrant boats
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