France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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