French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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