French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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