French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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