French authorities will start stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure

French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French police have rarely intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a risk to both officers and individuals.

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

Now, a French naval police representative states personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.

Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to snarl the propellers of the vessels.

The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.

That was highlighted in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.

Now French officials will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.

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

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

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