France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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