🔗 Share this article France to begin stopping small boats in Channel after British demands French officials have consented to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom. The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage. French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements. French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and individuals. "It is essential that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel." Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life. Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels. The decision to intervene at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived change towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former government official departed from government. That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel. Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped. Strong winds are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances. The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment. Connected Developments Why Britain can't just send back migrants to France France backing away from commitment to intercept asylum boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security