French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel after British demands

France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.

The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.

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

French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.

"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."

Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.

Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.

Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

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

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