France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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