French authorities to begin stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.
This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.
French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.
French police have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.
Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.
This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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