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French officials have consented to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, after months of pressure from the UK.

This policy shift follows the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to support the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've picked up their migrants, according to authoritative confirmation.

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

"It is crucial that we deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters."

Now, a French naval police representative says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting lives.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.

This determination to take action at all is a major advancement, coming after a short-lived shift towards a more aggressive strategy this summer, which ceased when the previous government official departed from government.

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

Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of northern France, however it's uncertain how the vessels will be prevented.

Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to evade detection, as they have frequently done in the past.

The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been approached for response.

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