France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.
This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan 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 collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.
Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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