French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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