France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after British demands

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

The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official statements.

French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

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

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

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.

This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official left office.

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

Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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