France to begin intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure

French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.

The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.

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

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

Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the engines of the vessels.

This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from office.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.

Currently French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.

UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.

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