France to begin stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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- Why Britain cannot just return migrants to France
- France backing away from pledge to intercept migrant boats
UK immigration
Channel crossings
Border security
