French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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