Reform UK Unveils 'Operation Fortress' Amid Rising Migrant Crossings
New plan proposes Royal Navy deployment to halt small boats, sparking legal and historical debate.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Carla Rooney
More than 2,000 migrants have arrived on small boats since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister last month.
Crossings this year show a 43 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2025, despite a recent influx under the new Prime Minister, who took office a fortnight ago.
Reform UK asserts their plan would constitute the “largest military operation” in the Channel since the Second World War, aiming to end the small boat crisis within two weeks of winning the next General Election.
However, the UK cannot sail into French waters and disembark people without permission.
The French interior ministry has stated that Reform UK's plan would violate French sovereignty and international law.
Nigel Farage claims the plan would not break maritime law, insisting that physically returning boats aligns with international law and functions as a humanitarian imperative.
We will always stand up for British interests and protect our people, whether Emmanuel Macron likes it or not.
Under international law, vessels must provide assistance to those in distress at sea, irrespective of their migration status.
The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention mandates search and rescue protocols over forced returns.
The 1951 Refugee Convention's principle of non-refoulement also dictates that asylum seekers cannot be automatically returned to places where they would face threats to life or freedom.
The Royal Navy previously held primacy for English Channel patrols in 2022, an operation that cost at least £50m and coincided with the all-time peak for small-boat crossings.
Operation Isotrope, as it was known, ran from April 2022 to January 2023.
The Conservatives had a similar plan four years ago, during which small boat crossings nearly doubled, and the Royal Navy was accused of operating a "taxi service."
The Government's recent Defence Investment Plan includes the planned early retirement of the Batch 1 River-class offshore patrol vessels, potentially impacting naval capacity.
Currently, £1 billion has been spent on a French deal to crack down on people smuggling gangs.
The number of National Crime Agency officers tackling smuggling gangs facilitating small boat crossings has risen to almost 800 from 376 at the start of 2025.
On Saturday, 326 people crossed the English Channel.
Small boat arrivals made up 42% of asylum applications between April 2025 and March 2026, with people from Eritrea accounting for 18% of all arrivals during that period.