France has condemned Reform UK’s proposal to use the Royal Navy to return small boats carrying migrants to France, warning the plan would breach French sovereignty and violate international law.
The party unveiled plans to intercept migrant boats crossing the English Channel and return those onboard to French ports, even without the agreement of the French government. Reform says the policy would be implemented if it won the next general election.
Under the proposal, military-crewed inflatable boats launched from 10 Royal Navy patrol vessels would approach migrant boats at sea. Border Force officers and police onboard would arrest those onboard before Royal Navy personnel or Royal Marines transported them back to France or Belgium. A Bay Class landing ship would also be used to detain up to 700 people during operations.
Speaking at a press conference, Reform’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said the party would seek French cooperation but insisted that, if refused, Royal Marines would return migrants “to the very shore they left that morning”. Nigel Farage argued France’s stance on the issue was “softening” and said he was “entirely confident” the policy could be justified under international maritime law.
However, the French Interior Ministry rejected the proposal, saying it would represent “a violation of French sovereignty, as well as a violation of the law of the sea and international law”. French officials also pointed to joint UK-France efforts, saying current cooperation had already helped reduce Channel crossings compared with the same period last year.
Reform argues the policy is lawful because it is based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which requires states to assist people in danger at sea. Farage said safely returning migrants to France would comply with international legal obligations.
Legal experts have disputed that interpretation. Andrew Serdy, an expert in the international law of the sea at the University of Southampton, said the policy would require France’s consent, which there was “no reason to expect”. Maritime barrister James Turner KC added that while UNCLOS gives states powers to enforce immigration laws within their contiguous zone, it does not permit them to collect asylum seekers and return them to the country they departed from.
Labour has dismissed the proposal as unworkable. Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said the government was instead focusing on tackling people-smuggling gangs, describing that approach as “working”. She argued Reform’s proposal would lead to “a lot of time arguing with France” rather than addressing the criminal networks behind the crossings.
More than 2,000 migrants have crossed the Channel since Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office two weeks ago, although Home Office figures show crossings this year remain around 43% lower than the same period in 2025. The government says it has nearly doubled the number of National Crime Agency officers targeting people-smuggling gangs, increasing the total from 376 at the start of 2025 to almost 800.
The Conservatives also criticised Reform’s proposals. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp questioned how the party would return migrants if France refused to accept them, describing the policy as “not credible”.