French authorities to begin stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left government.
That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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