France will start stopping small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit 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 permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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