France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs 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 approached for comment.
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