France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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