Overview
- Reform UK unveiled a policy called 'Operation Fortress' on Monday proposing Royal Navy offshore patrol vessels and Royal Marines intercept small boats in the English Channel and return people to France.
- Hours after the launch, the French interior ministry said the plan would violate French sovereignty and maritime and international law, prompting an immediate diplomatic dispute.
- Reform officials say the proposal is lawful and would protect life at sea, but legal experts note rescue duties under the European Convention on Human Rights and UNCLOS do not authorise returning people to another state without that state's consent.
- Former naval officers and opposition politicians criticised the plan as operationally impractical, saying warships and OPVs are not configured for mass recovery, safe long‑term holding or organised disembarkation on foreign soil.
- Home Office figures cited in coverage show Channel crossings in 2026 are down about 43% year on year, a fact that opponents say undercuts Reform's urgency and could limit the policy's practical justification while raising the prospect of prolonged UK‑France negotiations.