French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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