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France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and stating there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to official statements.

French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

"It is essential that we deploy these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."

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

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

This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister left government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.

Currently French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the small boats 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 Downing Street have been contacted for response.

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