France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.
The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the initiative and stating 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 departing from the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."
Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.
Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop 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 step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.
That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.
Now French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.
Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.
The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment.
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