France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.
Notably, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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