France has declared Reform UK's 'Operation Fortress' plan to use the Royal Navy to tow back migrant boats crossing the English Channel as illegal. The French interior ministry stated the proposal would violate French sovereignty, maritime law, and international law.
The diplomatic dispute emerged hours after Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf unveiled the policy on Monday. The plan would involve the Navy intercepting all migrant boats and returning them to France. Yusuf indicated that while Reform UK would prefer French cooperation, the policy would proceed even without it, with Royal Marines disembarking migrants on French shores.
"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."
Reform UK's policy document asserts the plan is legal, citing treaties like the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which it argues mandate efforts to protect life at sea. The party claims these interdictions would be lawful and preserve life, ultimately reducing deaths during Channel crossings.
However, a French interior ministry spokesman countered that "the number of crossings is down in 2026" due to existing measures implemented with the UK.
Political opponents in the UK have also criticized the proposal. The Conservative Party called 'Operation Fortress' a "gimmick." Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp questioned Reform UK's ability to fund such a military operation and to disembark migrants in France without French cooperation. Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty pointed out that an image used in Reform UK's policy document appeared to show HMS Ocean, a ship sold to Brazil in 2018, raising questions about the party's attention to detail.
Former Navy commander Tom Sharpe suggested that deploying a warship for such a task would be an inefficient use of resources, stating, "A billion-pound warship that's configured for anti-air warfare or anti-submarine warfare... is not best used ferrying people around. You're better off using an actual ferry."