France to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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