Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's home affairs spokesman, told the party's annual conference that Nigel Farage would order the Royal Navy to turn back Channel migrant boats on his first day as prime minister, and pledged that Reform would carry out "the largest mass deportation operation in modern history". The speech has fuelled speculation that Yusuf is positioning himself to succeed Farage, who is currently facing scrutiny over the source of party donations; a former Reform activist claimed openly that Yusuf was "running to replace" the leader.

Yusuf said a Reform government would use the Royal Marines to "arrest" those crossing the Channel and would give Britain "the most secure borders on Earth", with Farage reportedly ordering the Navy to stop unauthorised vessels via the First Sea Lord. However, this pledge was somewhat overshadowed minutes later when Farage announced a cross-Channel agreement with France's Rassemblement National, under which France would take back blocked migrants and handle their deportation if both parties win power. RN leader Jordan Bardella addressed the conference in Birmingham, promising that a future French government would ensure France was no longer "the gateway for illegal migration into the United Kingdom" and vowed to dismantle smuggling networks.