France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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