France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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