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France has agreed to begin intercepting migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of pressure from the United Kingdom.

The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the President urging him to back the initiative and saying there currently "lack any 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 statements.

French police have infrequently acted to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered too great a risk to both personnel and individuals.

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

Currently, a French maritime police representative states officers will start intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.

This determination to intervene at all is a major step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous Interior Minister departed from government.

This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel.

Now French authorities will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be stopped.

Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of interceptions and the people-smuggling networks will be seeking ways to adjust to avoid detection, as they have done so often in the previous instances.

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

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