French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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