France to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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