France will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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