🔗 Share this article

French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.

The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.

French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.

"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."

Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.

Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.

Connected Developments

• Why Britain cannot just send back migrants to French territory
• France backing away from commitment to intercept migrant boats