France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel following UK pressure
France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.
The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.
French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.
French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."
Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the boats.
The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.
This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.
Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.
The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.
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