France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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