🔗 Share this article

France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.

The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

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

French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and individuals.

"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."

Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.

The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.

Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.

Connected Developments

• Reasons Britain can't just send back migrants to France
• French government backing away from commitment to stop asylum boats