France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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