France to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking 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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