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

France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.

This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.

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

Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.

Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to disable the engines of the boats.

This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official left office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.

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

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