France will start stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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