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French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and saying there presently "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 migrants, according to authoritative statements.

French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.

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

Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.

Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the propellers of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the previous Interior Minister left office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.

Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been approached for response.

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