French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more 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 stopped.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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