France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands

French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.

French authorities have rarely acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."

Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter approach 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 summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.

Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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