France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states 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 reported as a possible method to snarl the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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