French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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