France to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure

France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

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 authoritative confirmation.

French police have infrequently intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals.

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

Currently, a French maritime police representative states personnel will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.

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

This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.

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

Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

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

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