French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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