French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following British demands

France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have rarely acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

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

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

Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.

Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.

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