France to begin stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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