France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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