French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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