Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has unveiled a proposed "memorandum of understanding" with France's National Rally party that would involve intercepting boats carrying migrants in British territorial waters and returning them to France.
The agreement, presented at a Reform conference, outlines that the United Kingdom would intercept boats launched from French shores and entering British waters, and return the individuals on board to France. France, according to the document, would "ordinarily accept these persons, who will be repatriated to their home country in accordance with the law in force in France concerning expulsion."
When questioned about the wording "ordinarily," suggesting that not all migrants might be accepted by France, Farage described it as "legalese." He asserted that the proposals would eliminate any incentive to pay people smugglers to cross the English Channel, thereby breaking the business model of trafficking operations.
Reform UK states that if the party wins power, it intends to utilize the Royal Navy to intercept boats and return migrants to France. The party has pledged to achieve this goal within the first 100 days of a potential Reform government. Farage characterized the document as "historic" and claimed it would "stop the boats forever."