French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop 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 major advancement, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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