France will start intercepting small boats in English Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.
French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.
"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."
Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.
Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.
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