🔗 Share this article French authorities to begin intercepting migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure France has agreed to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom. The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel. French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation. French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians. "It is crucial that we implement these tactics this month... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel." Now, a French maritime police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting human life. Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels. The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government. That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel. Currently French officials will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped. Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances. UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been contacted for comment. Related Developments Why UK cannot just return migrants to France France withdrawing from commitment to intercept asylum boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security