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France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French security forces have been authorized to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.

French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both officers and individuals.

"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."

Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential method to snarl the propellers of the boats.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left office.

This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.

Now French authorities 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.

Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the past.

The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.

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