France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "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 picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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