French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin 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 earlier been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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