France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up 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 excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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