French authorities to begin stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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