French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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