Reform UK has been criticised over its proposal, dubbed "Operation Fortress" by leader Nigel Farage, to deploy the Royal Navy to intercept small boats in the English Channel and return migrants to France or Belgium. The party describes it as the largest military operation in the Channel since the Second World War, but the plan has drawn scorn from political rivals and former naval officers who say it is impractical and lacks detail, raising questions about its cost, legality and effectiveness.

Under the proposal, a joint military command combining the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, RAF and British Army would intercept unauthorised boats, provide occupants with food, water and a medical check, then escort them back across the Channel. Retired naval commander Tom Sharpe said warships built for anti-air or anti-submarine warfare are unsuited to such duties, while Downing Street noted that a similar Royal Navy-led approach in 2022 failed to cut crossings. Labour dismissed it as a "reheated" distraction from Reform's own troubles, and the Conservatives' Chris Philp called it a "gimmick" lacking funding details or French cooperation, though Farage insisted it would comply with international law, save lives and cut costs.