French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in Channel after British demands

French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.

"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."

Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.

Notably, the official ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.

This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.

Currently French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust 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 response.

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