France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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