Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled the plan at a press conference in London on Monday, saying the party would use naval forces to force migrant boats back across the English Channel toward France or Belgium.

Farage defended the proposal, saying it would comply with international law. He explained that the plan would not simply involve returning boats after they reach British waters, but would also include rescuing people during their journey and taking them back to France.

He said he was "fully confident" that the measure was legal. A legal opinion included in Reform UK’s policy document supported this position, although the document did not identify the source of the legal assessment.

The party’s internal affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, said that if Reform UK formed the government, there would be only two options: reaching an agreement with France or entering French waters without permission.

Yusuf said he expected France would not deploy police forces to prevent British naval personnel from returning migrants in small boats, adding that forcing civilians back into the sea would violate humanitarian law.

He had previously said Britain under a Reform UK government could return boats to France without French approval. He described the plan, called "Operation Fortress," as having support from former senior military figures and said its objectives were humanitarian and consistent with the European Convention on Human Rights.

However, legal experts have argued that international maritime agreements allow countries to rescue people in distress at sea but do not permit transferring them to another country without that country’s consent.

Stopping small boat crossings to Britain has become one of Reform UK’s main political priorities. The party has repeatedly criticized the Labour government’s handling of the issue, which has become a key focus for the far-right movement in attracting public support.

Meanwhile, new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged a strict approach to tackling small boat crossings, while acknowledging that Britain needs a system that provides asylum seekers with safe routes.

Reform UK’s proposal came two days after Burnham visited the coastal town of Dover in southeast England, where many boats arrive from France. During the visit, he said his government was changing its entire approach to the issue and would double the number of enforcement officers targeting people-smuggling networks on both sides of the English Channel.

Unofficial estimates indicate that more than 2,000 irregular migrants have reached Britain by small boats since Burnham took office on July 20, with 326 people crossing the Channel on Saturday alone.

Official Home Office figures showed that small boat crossings declined by around 43% during the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

Responding to Reform UK’s plan, the British government said the proposal would mean spending significant time negotiating with France. However, Energy Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the government urgently needed to regain control over small boat crossings, while stressing that the Burnham administration was increasing pressure on criminal smuggling networks and strengthening law enforcement.

The opposition Conservative Party has not yet announced its official position on the Reform UK proposal. However, Conservative shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called for Britain to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that this would allow the country to deport irregular migrants more quickly.

Philp said leaving the convention should be a priority for tackling irregular migration, claiming it would allow Britain to remove migrants within a week of arrival, either to their country of origin or to a safe third country if necessary. He argued that such a move would create a deterrent effect and discourage people from crossing the Channel.