French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant 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 July, preceding 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 allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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