France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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