French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust 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 response.
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