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France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.

The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to support the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French authorities have infrequently acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.

"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."

Now, a French naval police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the propellers of the boats.

The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister left government.

This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.

Currently French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect migrant passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.

Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adjust to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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