France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid interception, 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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