France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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