French authorities to begin intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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