France will start stopping small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain 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 done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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