🔗 Share this article France will start stopping migrant vessels in Channel after UK pressure France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the UK. The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the President urging him to back 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 only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements. French police have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians. "It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters." Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives. Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats. This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official left government. That was highlighted in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel. Currently French authorities will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented. Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past. UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response. Related Developments Why Britain cannot just return asylum seekers to France French government withdrawing from pledge to intercept migrant boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security