French authorities to begin stopping small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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