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France has agreed to begin stopping small boats in the Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.

The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the French leader urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "lack any effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French security forces will be allowed to intercept the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.

French authorities have rarely intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is considered excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.

"It is crucial that we implement these methods this month... We have no effective prevention in the Channel waters."

Currently, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of protecting human life.

Significantly, the official ruled out the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a potential technique to snarl the engines of the boats.

The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, following a short-lived change towards a stricter approach this warmer season, which dropped off when the previous government official departed from government.

This was demonstrated in the summer month, in the run-up to a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when French police were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.

Now French officials will again be allowed to intercept boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be stopped.

Strong winds are currently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the people-smuggling networks will be looking for methods to adjust to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.

The Home Office and Downing Street have been contacted for comment.

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