France will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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