France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan 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 only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit 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 permitted to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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