France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
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 allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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