France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel following UK pressure

French officials have consented to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.

The change in policy 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 deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.

French authorities have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."

Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.

Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.

This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.

This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Currently French officials will once more be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.

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