French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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