France will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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