France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police 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 infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade 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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