French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" 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 passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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- Reasons UK can't just return migrants to French territory
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