French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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