French authorities to begin stopping small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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