France will start intercepting migrant vessels in Channel following UK pressure

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

This policy shift follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

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

French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.

"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."

Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.

The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left government.

This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.

Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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