French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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