France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure

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

This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.

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

Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.

Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.

Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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