France to begin stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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