French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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