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French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the Channel, after an extended period of pressure from the UK.

The change in policy comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader urging him to support the plan and stating there currently "lack any effective preventive measure" in the maritime passage.

French security forces have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've picked up their passengers, according to official confirmation.

French authorities have rarely acted 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 deploy these methods this period... We have zero effective prevention in the Channel."

Now, a French naval police spokesperson states officers will start taking action at sea, with the aim of protecting human life.

Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been reported as a possible method to snarl the engines of the boats.

The decision to take action at all is a significant step forward, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which ceased when the former government official departed from government.

That was highlighted in the summer month, preceding a meeting between the Prime Minister and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a boat.

Now French authorities will once more be allowed to stop boats before they collect asylum-seeking passengers from the beaches of northern France, although it's uncertain how the vessels will be stopped.

Strong winds are currently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for ways to adapt to evade detection, as they have done so often in the past.

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

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