French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel following British demands
France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.
The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.
French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to official confirmation.
French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.
"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."
Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.
Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.
This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left office.
This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.
Now French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.
Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.
UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.
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