French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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