France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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