Reform UK has condemned the French government for attacking its plan to use the Royal Navy to return small boat migrants to France. The party's proposal, announced by Nigel Farage, would involve the Royal Navy intercepting all dinghies carrying asylum seekers in the English Channel.
Farage said on Monday that the plan would be the "largest military operation in the English Channel since World War II" to prevent small boat crossings, following unrest at the Spain-Morocco border. The Royal Navy would be sent to the Channel to intercept all dinghies carrying asylum seekers if Reform wins the next general election.
France's Response
The French interior ministry called the plan "a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law." A spokesperson for the department added that measures agreed with the UK, as well as "operations deployed at the local level," had already reduced crossings this year compared to the same period in 2025.
Reacting to that statement, Reform UK spokesman Robert Jenrick said his party would "no longer tolerate" the way France handles small boat crossings. He said on X: "If they are so concerned, they could end this problem tomorrow. But they’ve had 8 years to stop this and failed abysmally. Nigel Farage and Reform UK will not tolerate it any longer."
Policy Details
Reform's policy document indicates that navy offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), instead of the Border Force's fleet of five cutters and six patrol ships, would "close on and shadow" dinghies in the Channel, according to The Guardian. Reform wants Royal Marines on inflatables to approach often packed dinghies to pick up those onboard, though refugees and migrants may not be compliant as they are likely to fear arrest.
John Foreman, a former Navy captain, said: "Mariners are obliged to rescue people at sea in distress and not create conditions for putting them in distress."
Farage's Comments
Earlier, Farage told reporters: "This is not pushback. We are talking about rescue and return." He said the French government would be expected to accept the returned asylum seekers, claiming he had spoken to unnamed French politicians about the plans.
"Dealing with this problem would be a great, great relief to the people of northern France," he added. "Attitudes towards this [in France] are starting to change, and they’re also beginning to realise that we have given them a lot of money and this would in fact, be helping them with their objectives."
A Reform spokesperson added: "We will always stand up for British interests and protect our people, whether Emmanuel Macron likes it or not. Humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law."
Opposition Criticism
Opposition parties branded the plan unworkable, while a Labour minister said it would lead to "a lot of time arguing with France" instead of "actually getting to grips with the problem." Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Reform's plan was not "credible," adding: "They can't answer the question how they would disembark immigrants back in France if the French don't agree." He said Reform's policy "I am afraid as usual is on the back of a fag packet."
More than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK on small boats since Andy Burnham became prime minister two weeks ago, and 326 people crossed the English Channel on Saturday, BBC reports. Home Office figures show crossings so far this year are down around 43% compared to the same period in 2025. The number of small boats crossing the Channel has been on an overall downward trend since it peaked in 2022.
