Farage claims Reform would stop small boats crisis ‘in a fortnight’ as he unveils ‘Operation Fortress’ plan to use the Royal Navy to return Channel migrants to France
Nigel Farage has claimed that Reform UK could halt the Channel small boats crisis "in a fortnight" if in government, unveiling a policy dubbed "Operation Fortress". The plan centres on deploying the Royal Navy to intercept migrant boats crossing the Channel and return those on board directly to France, marking one of the party's most concrete pledges yet on immigration and border security ahead of future elections.
The announcement forms part of Reform UK's broader push to position itself as the toughest party on illegal Channel crossings, a politically salient issue that has dogged successive UK governments. Full operational details of how "Operation Fortress" would work in practice, including its legal basis for returning migrants to French waters and how it would be negotiated with the French authorities, were not fully set out in the material available.
- Farage says Reform could end small boats crisis within two weeks
- New "Operation Fortress" plan would use the Royal Navy
- Migrants would reportedly be returned directly to France
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Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has been building a policy platform on immigration ahead of future elections, and the small boats crisis has become one of the most contested issues in British politics for several years. Thousands of people cross the Channel each year in small boats, often organised by smuggling gangs, and successive UK governments have struggled to reduce the numbers despite various measures. Reform UK has consistently positioned itself as the party offering the toughest response to these crossings.
"Operation Fortress" is Reform's latest proposal, which would involve using the Royal Navy to intercept migrant boats in the Channel and send those on board back to France. This would represent a significant escalation from current UK Border Force and coastguard operations, which focus on rescue and processing rather than direct return to French waters.
The plan raises questions that have not yet been fully answered, including its legal basis under international maritime and asylum law, and whether France would agree to accept people returned in this way, since any such arrangement would require cooperation between the two governments.