France will start intercepting small boats in Channel after UK pressure

France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and saying there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.

French police have rarely acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.

"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."

Currently, a French naval police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible technique to snarl the engines of the vessels.

The decision to take action at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.

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

Currently French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.

Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.

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