French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure

French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

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

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.

French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.

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

Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.

This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.

Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.

UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.

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