French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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