French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more 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 prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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