French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.
French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official left government.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.
Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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