🔗 Share this article

French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.

French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.

"It is essential that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."

Now, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.

This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.

That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect 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 presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

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

Connected Developments

• Reasons UK can't just send back migrants to French territory
• French government backing away from commitment to intercept asylum boats