France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands

French officials have consented to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.

The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French security forces have been authorized to stop 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 stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals.

"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."

Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.

Now French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

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