French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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