French authorities will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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