France to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following British demands

French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.

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

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

French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and civilians.

"It is essential that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."

Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.

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

The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government.

That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.

Currently French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.

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