France to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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