French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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