French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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