French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" 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 official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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