French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
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 confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following 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 July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid 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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