France to begin stopping migrant vessels in Channel after British demands

France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the UK.

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

French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and individuals.

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

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

Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.

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

Currently French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.

Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

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

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