France will start stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the plan 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 picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.
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