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France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift follows the British leader sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a danger to both personnel and civilians.

"It is crucial that we implement these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel waters."

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

Notably, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Currently French officials will again be permitted to stop boats before they collect migrant passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently delaying the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid 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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