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French officials have consented to start 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 back the plan and saying there presently "have no effective preventive measure" in the Channel.

French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but exclusively prior to they've collected their passengers, according to authoritative statements.

French authorities have rarely acted to prevent the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both officers and individuals.

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

Now, a French maritime police representative says officers will begin taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had previously been suggested as a possible method to disable the propellers of the vessels.

The decision to intervene at all is a major step forward, coming after a brief change towards a stricter 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 UK leader and President, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a boat.

Now French officials will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they pick up asylum-seeking individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, although it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking ways 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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