French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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