French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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