🔗 Share this article French authorities will start stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom. The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage. French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation. French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and civilians. "It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters." Currently, a French naval police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life. Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats. The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government. That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel. Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented. Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs 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 contacted for response. Related Developments Reasons UK can't just return migrants to French territory French government withdrawing from commitment to intercept migrant boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security