France to begin stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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