French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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