France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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