🔗 Share this article France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure France has agreed to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the UK. The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel. French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements. French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both officers and individuals. "It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel." Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives. Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats. The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left office. That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat. Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped. Powerful gusts are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances. The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for comment. Related Updates Why Britain cannot just return asylum seekers to French territory French government withdrawing from commitment to intercept migrant boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security