🔗 Share this article France will start stopping small boats in Channel following British demands French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom. The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage. 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 statements. French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and civilians. "It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel." Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel 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 earlier been reported as a possible technique to snarl the propellers of the boats. The decision to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from office. This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel. Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped. Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past. UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment. Connected Developments Why Britain can't just return migrants to French territory French government backing away from commitment to intercept asylum boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security