France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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