French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased 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 observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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