French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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