France will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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