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French officials have consented to start intercepting small boats in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.

The change in policy follows the Prime Minister sent a letter to the President urging him to support the initiative and saying there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage.

French maritime police will be allowed to stop the migrant vessels at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.

French police have infrequently intervened to prevent the heavily loaded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as excessively high a risk to both personnel and civilians.

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

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

Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible technique to disable the propellers of the boats.

This determination to intervene at all is a significant advancement, following a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government.

That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a summit between the Prime Minister and President, when authorities were witnessed wading into the sea to damage the hulls of a boat.

Currently 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 not clear how the small boats will be stopped.

Strong winds are currently postponing the commencement of interceptions and the human trafficking gangs will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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