France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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