France will start intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left office.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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