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France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have rarely intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

"It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."

Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of safeguarding lives.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.

This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a brief change towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.

That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.

Currently French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats prior to they pick up migrant passengers from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's not clear 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 adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.

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