French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to 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.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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