France will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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