French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, 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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