French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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