French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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