French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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