French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure

France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

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

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

"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."

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

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.

This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from office.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.

Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

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

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