French authorities to begin stopping small boats in English Channel following UK pressure

France has agreed to start intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader asking him to back the initiative and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.

French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

"It is crucial that we implement these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."

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

Significantly, the official excluded the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been suggested as a potential technique to disable the propellers of the boats.

This determination to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived change towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from office.

That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were observed wading into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Now French officials will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's not clear how the small boats will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adapt to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.

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