French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, 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 officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous 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 witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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