French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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