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

The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to official statements.

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

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

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

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

This determination to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official left government.

This was demonstrated in July, preceding a summit between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Now French authorities will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for response.

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