French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and stating there currently "have no 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 migrants, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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