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French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after 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 back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline 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."

Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.

Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the engines of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

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

Strong winds are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

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

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