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France has agreed to begin intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the President asking him to back the initiative and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.

French police have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the coastline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.

"It is essential that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel."

Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats.

This determination to take action at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.

Currently French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.

Strong winds are presently delaying the start of interceptions and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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