France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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