France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, 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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