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

This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and individuals.

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

Currently, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.

Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach 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 Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.

Now French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade interception, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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