France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.
French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.
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