French authorities will start stopping small boats 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 follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.

French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.

"It is essential that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."

Now, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the boats.

The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach 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 walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.

Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.

Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be seeking ways to adapt 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 response.

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