France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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