French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
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 deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.
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