France will start intercepting small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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