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France has strongly criticised Reform UK’s proposal to use Royal Navy vessels to return migrant boats crossing the English Channel, describing the plan as a breach of French sovereignty and a violation of international maritime law.
The proposal, unveiled by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and the party’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf, outlines a strategy under which naval patrol vessels would intercept migrant boats at sea, detain those on board and transport them back to ports in France or Belgium.
The policy would be implemented if the party wins the next UK general election.
French authorities swiftly dismissed the proposal, with the Interior Ministry warning that any attempt to return migrants to French territory without consent would violate both international law and France’s territorial rights.
Officials also pointed to existing cooperation with the United Kingdom, saying joint operations had already contributed to a decline in Channel crossings this year compared with the same period in 2025.
Responding to the criticism, Reform UK insisted its proposal was designed to protect British borders and save lives at sea.
A party spokesperson maintained that humanitarian operations conducted in accordance with maritime obligations would not breach international law, adding that the party would prioritise Britain’s national interests regardless of France’s objections.
According to Reform’s policy blueprint, Royal Navy patrol ships supported by military-operated inflatable craft would intercept migrant vessels in the Channel.
Border Force officers and police personnel aboard the ships would detain those on board, while larger naval support vessels would provide temporary holding facilities capable of accommodating hundreds of migrants.
Zia Yusuf said the party would initially seek French approval to return intercepted migrants to French ports.
However, he stated that if Paris refused, Royal Marines would transport those rescued back to the French coastline from which they had departed.
Farage also argued that attitudes within France towards tougher migration enforcement were beginning to shift, expressing confidence that the policy would ultimately comply with international legal frameworks.
Reform maintains that its proposal is supported by provisions within the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which requires states to assist individuals facing danger at sea.
The party contends that intercepting overcrowded boats and returning occupants to safe locations is consistent with those obligations.
Legal experts, however, questioned that interpretation.
Andrew Serdy, a specialist in international maritime law at the University of Southampton, said any such operation would require France’s consent, noting there was no indication Paris would agree.
Maritime lawyer James Turner KC also argued that while UNCLOS allows states to enforce immigration laws within a designated contiguous zone extending up to 24 nautical miles from their coastline, it does not authorise countries to remove asylum seekers and return them to the country from which they departed without agreement.
The proposal has also faced criticism from Britain’s political opponents.
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh dismissed the idea as impractical, arguing that it would create prolonged diplomatic disputes with France instead of addressing organised people-smuggling networks.
She described the proposal as another example of policies previously considered by Conservative governments that failed to deliver lasting results.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who recently visited Dover, said the government’s strategy focuses on dismantling criminal smuggling operations through closer cooperation with France.
The Home Office said the number of National Crime Agency officers targeting trafficking gangs has increased to nearly 800, more than double the figure recorded at the beginning of 2025.
Conservative shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also questioned the feasibility of Reform UK’s proposal, arguing that the party had failed to explain how migrants could legally be returned to France if French authorities refused to accept them.
Official figures show more than 2,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by small boats since Burnham became prime minister two weeks ago, while 326 people crossed the Channel on Saturday.
Despite those arrivals, Home Office data indicates overall crossings this year have fallen by approximately 43 per cent compared with the same period last year, continuing a broader downward trend that began after record numbers were recorded in 2022.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong