France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, 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.
The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, 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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