France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust 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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