French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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