France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.
French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.
French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Significantly, the official excluded 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 shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.
Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.
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