🔗 Share this article France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after UK pressure French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK. The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel. French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative statements. French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians. "It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters." Currently, a French naval police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life. Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats. The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left government. This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel. Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented. Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances. The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response. Related Developments Reasons Britain can't just return asylum seekers to French territory France backing away from pledge to intercept migrant boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security