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France has agreed to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the UK.

The change in policy follows the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader asking him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

French maritime police have been authorized to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official statements.

French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and civilians.

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

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

Notably, the official excluded the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a significant step forward, following a brief change towards a stricter approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.

Now French authorities will once more be permitted to intercept boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's not clear how the small boats will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are presently postponing the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the past.

UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.

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