French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking 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 response.
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