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French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French security forces have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French police have infrequently acted to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.

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

Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.

Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.

UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.

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