French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official left office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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