France will start stopping small boats in English Channel after UK pressure

France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.

This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the President asking him to support the plan and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.

French police have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high 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 waters."

Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.

Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a potential method to disable the engines of the vessels.

This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the former government official left government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.