France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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