The French government has declared illegal a proposal by the UK's Reform party to use the Royal Navy to intercept and tow back small migrant boats crossing the English Channel. The plan, dubbed 'Operation Fortress', was unveiled by Reform party leader Nigel Farage and its home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, on Monday.
Reform's policy would involve the Navy launching a large-scale operation in the Channel to intercept all migrant vessels and return them to France. Yusuf stated that the policy would be pursued with or without French cooperation, though he expressed a preference for working with French authorities.
"We would far rather disembark people in port, walk people down a gangway and hand them to the French authorities. That is what is more dignified, and it is what we will negotiate," Yusuf said. "But if the Elysee Palace refuses, make no mistake: His Majesty's Royal Marines will disembark them safely on the very shore they left that morning."
However, the French interior ministry responded hours later, asserting the proposal's illegality on multiple grounds. A ministry spokesman stated, "This would be a violation of French sovereignty, as well as a violation of the law of the sea and international law."
Reform's policy document argues that 'Operation Fortress' would be legal, citing treaties such as the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which mandate efforts to protect life at sea. The party contends that these interdictions would be lawful and enhance safety by reducing dangerous Channel crossings.
Former Navy commander Tom Sharpe, however, questioned the practicality of using warships for such a task, suggesting it would be an inefficient use of military resources. "A billion-pound warship that's configured for anti-air warfare or anti-submarine warfare, which are both threats to the UK, is not best used ferrying people around," he told Radio 4. "You're better off using an actual ferry."
Conservative politicians have criticized Reform's proposal. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp questioned the party's ability to fund such a military operation and to disembark migrants in France without French cooperation. Additionally, Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty pointed out that an image used in Reform's promotional material for 'Operation Fortress' appeared to be of HMS Ocean, a ship sold to Brazil in 2018, raising questions about the party's grasp of defense details.