French authorities to begin stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands

French officials have consented to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the Channel, following months of insistence from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

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

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

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

Now, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.

Significantly, the official ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to snarl the engines of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister departed from office.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a boat.

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

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

UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.