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French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of insistence from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and saying there presently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

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

French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is considered too great a danger to both personnel and civilians.

"It is essential that we deploy these tactics this month... We have no effective deterrent in the Channel."

Currently, a French maritime police spokesperson says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting lives.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of nets to stop boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.

The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this summer, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left office.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were observed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.

Now French officials will again be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the coastal areas of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are presently postponing the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

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

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