French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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