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French officials have consented to begin stopping migrant vessels in the English Channel, following an extended period of insistence from the United Kingdom.

This policy shift comes after the British leader wrote to the French leader asking him to back the plan and stating there presently "have no effective deterrent" in the Channel.

French maritime police have been authorized to stop the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements.

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

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

Now, a French maritime police representative says personnel will start taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life.

Significantly, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to intercept boats, which had earlier been suggested as a potential method to disable the propellers of the boats.

The decision to intervene at all is a major advancement, coming after a brief shift towards a stricter strategy this warmer season, which dropped off when the former government official departed from office.

This was demonstrated in July, in the run-up to a meeting between the UK leader and French president, when authorities were observed walking into the sea to damage the sides of a vessel.

Now French officials will once more be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant passengers from the coastal areas of France's north coast, although it's not clear how the vessels will be prevented.

Powerful gusts are currently postponing the start of intervention operations and the people-smuggling gangs will be looking for methods to adapt to evade interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances.

UK immigration authorities and Downing Street have been approached for comment.

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