France will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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