🔗 Share this article France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK. The change in policy follows the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage. French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements. French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and individuals. "It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel." Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life. Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to disable the engines of the boats. The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office. That was highlighted 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 vessel. Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped. Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past. UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response. Connected Updates Reasons Britain can't just return migrants to France France withdrawing from pledge to stop migrant boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security