France to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, 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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