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

French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative statements.

French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.

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

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

Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left office.

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

Now French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.

Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment.

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