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French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the UK.

The change in policy comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a danger to both officers and individuals.

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

Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

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

The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which dropped off when the previous government official left government.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Now French officials will once more be allowed to intercept boats prior to they collect 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 delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the past.

UK immigration authorities and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment.

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