France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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