đź”— Share this article French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after UK pressure France has agreed to begin stopping 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 French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel. 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 infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both personnel and individuals. "It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel." Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting lives. Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to disable the engines of the boats. This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister departed from government. That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat. Currently French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped. Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances. UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for comment. Connected Updates Reasons Britain can't just return asylum seekers to France French government withdrawing from commitment to intercept migrant boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security