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

The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister sent a letter to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police will be allowed to intercept the migrant vessels at sea, but exclusively prior to they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French authorities have infrequently intervened to stop the heavily loaded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a danger to both officers and civilians.

"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel."

Now, a French naval police spokesperson states personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding lives.

Significantly, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a potential method to disable the propellers of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.

That was highlighted in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the hulls of a vessel.

Now French authorities will once more be allowed to intercept boats before they collect asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for ways to adapt to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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