French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"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 aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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