France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have infrequently intervened to stop 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 implement these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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