France will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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