Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has reiterated his party's pledge to halt small boat crossings of the English Channel within a fortnight, unveiling a plan dubbed 'Operation Fortress.' The proposal involves using the Royal Navy to intercept and return migrants directly to France.
At a press conference in Westminster, Farage defended the plan against questions regarding its legality, potential costs, and the implications if France refused to accept the returned migrants. He stated that 'Operation Fortress will be a combined military operation' that would save lives, assist France in its border control efforts, and significantly reduce costs. Farage expressed confidence that the policy of safely returning migrants to France aligns with international law and questioned the purpose of the Royal Navy if not to protect the country from perceived invasion.
Reform's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, addressed concerns about the Royal Navy's capacity and potential French non-cooperation. Yusuf suggested that vessels like the Bay Class ships and offshore river patrol vessels, equipped with rigid hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) and Royal Marines, would be used to intercept migrant dinghies. He added that if France refused to accept migrants, British marines would escort them to French beaches, which he characterized as an argument with France. Yusuf also stated that any French refusal to allow disembarkation would constitute a crime against humanity, a scenario he deemed unlikely given the humanitarian nature of the mission. He asserted that the plan had extensive legal backing.
However, the proposal faced criticism. Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy commander, expressed skepticism about the plan's feasibility, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Royal Navy currently lacks the necessary vessels for such an operation. He suggested that using warships for ferrying people would be inefficient, advocating for the use of actual ferries instead.
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticized Reform's plan as lacking credibility and detail, questioning their ability to fund such military operations and their strategy should France refuse migrants. Philp stated that Conservatives would pursue deportation to the country of origin or a safe third country like Rwanda.
A Labour spokesman dismissed Reform's announcement as a distraction tactic, highlighting the government's efforts to reduce crossings, which they claim have led to 46,000 attempted crossings being stopped and 70,000 people removed from the UK. Labour's Energy Secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, defended the government's current approach, citing a 50% reduction in crossings compared to the previous year, attributing this success to increased enforcement, action against criminal gangs, and the provision of safe and legal routes.