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France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift follows the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels 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 individuals.

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

Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.

Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the vessels.

This determination to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.

This was demonstrated in July, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.

Now French officials will again be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for response.

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