French authorities will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands

France has agreed to start stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following months of pressure from the UK.

This policy shift comes after the British leader sent a letter to the French leader urging him to back the plan 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 collected their migrants, according to official confirmation.

French authorities have rarely intervened to stop the overcrowded boats departing from the shoreline because it is viewed as too great a risk to both officers and individuals.

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

Currently, a French naval police spokesperson says personnel will begin intervening at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.

Notably, the spokesperson excluded the use of nets to intercept boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the vessels.

The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a short-lived shift towards a stricter strategy this summer, which dropped off when the former Interior Minister departed from government.

This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and President, when French police were witnessed walking into the sea to slash the sides of a vessel.

Now French authorities will again be allowed to stop boats prior to they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, however it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are presently delaying the commencement of intervention operations and the human trafficking networks will be seeking methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the past.

The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for response.

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