France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" 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 infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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