French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
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 small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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