France to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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