Reform UK proposes Royal Navy Channel operation to return migrants to France

Reform UK has proposed a military operation in the English Channel to intercept migrant boats and return those on board to France. The party’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, said France would be obliged to accept migrants if the Royal Navy rescued them and brought them to French shores. The plan, described as the largest military operation in the Channel since World War Two, aims to curb small boat crossings.

Yusuf outlined the proposal during a press conference at Reform UK’s headquarters. He said the plan was partly inspired by a recent incident in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa, where around 60,000 migrants breached the border with Morocco. Spanish authorities, he said, were able to return more than 40,000 migrants within a day using military force.

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Feasibility of the plan questioned

Former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe cast doubt on the proposal’s practicality. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sharpe said the UK does not have the necessary ships for such an operation. He described the idea of a large-scale maritime operation as unrealistic, given the current capabilities of the Royal Navy.

Sharpe also questioned whether France would cooperate. He said French authorities already grant asylum to migrants within their borders and suggested Paris would be unlikely to accept migrants returned by the UK. He asked why France would agree to such an arrangement, calling it politically and logistically unfeasible.

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““The idea that President Macron would order the gendarmerie, the coastguard, or anybody else under his control to commit a crime against humanity, which is what that would be, I do not think that that is a serious hypothetical.””

Zia Yusuf, Reform UK home affairs spokesman

Government response and migrant numbers

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh defended the government’s approach to tackling Channel crossings. Speaking to Sky News, she said enforcement officers have been doubled and arrests of criminal gangs involved in people smuggling have increased by 74%. She also highlighted a 50% reduction in crossings, attributing it to the government’s strategy.

Home Office figures show that 2,057 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister on 20 July. On one Saturday alone, 326 migrants arrived in four boats. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp criticised Burnham’s response, saying the government lacks a plan to secure the UK’s borders.

What happens next

Reform UK is expected to unveil the full details of its proposal later this week. It remains unclear whether the plan will gain traction or how the French government would respond. The UK government has not indicated any intention to adopt the proposal, instead emphasising its existing strategy of targeting criminal gangs and increasing enforcement.