France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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