French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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