French authorities will start intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure

French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.

French authorities have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.

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

Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.

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

The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.

Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.

UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.

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