French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods 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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