France on Monday condemned a proposal by hard-right Reform UK party to launch, if it wins power, "the largest military operation" in the Channel "since World War II" to stop migrants crossing on small boats.
The party's leader, Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, at a press conference unveiled a policy to deploy Britain's Royal Navy to return small boats to France.
But the French interior ministry told AFP that the plan "would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law".
The proposal comes days after tens of thousands of migrants entered the Spanish territory of Ceuta in north Africa from neighbouring Morocco, reigniting Europe's debate over irregular migration.
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"What happened in Ceuta over the weekend shows you just how serious this situation is," Farage told a press conference unveiling the new policy.
Farage wrote on X that "humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law", and the party defiantly vowed to "stand up for British interests", whether French President Emmanuel Macron "likes it or not".
The hard-right party would need to win the next general election – not due until 2029 – to implement the proposal.
They come as Farage and Reform – which led national polls for around 18 months but have seen that lead disappear in recent weeks – are embroiled in a series of scandals and official probes into their finances.
In the latest, parliament's standards commissioner said on Monday he had last week opened an investigation into an alleged "failure to declare" a financial interest by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice.
The commissioner was already probing Farage for a separate alleged parliamentary rules breach. But that was suspended when the Reform head resigned as an MP to trigger a by-election next week that he is contesting.
Meanwhile, London police have confirmed launching a probe in February last year over donations to Reform ahead of the 2024 general election, following a referral from the Electoral Commission watchdog.
'Doesn't add up'
However, Farage denied the announcement was a distraction stunt, predicting Reform would stop the boats "within a fortnight".
The party's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf insisted any French resistance "would be a crime against humanity".
"If the Élysée Palace refuses, make no mistake: His Majesty's Royal Marines will disembark them safely on the very shore they left that morning," he added.
He said the plans would be "the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War II".
But Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy commander, told AFP that deploying the navy was "not really where the solution lies".
"There's a lot the navy can do but the idea of ... ferrying people back to France, against the French's will, to me just doesn't add up."
The Conservative government in 2020 proposed and swiftly abandoned such a policy.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer two weeks ago, vowed on Sunday to be "relentless" in curbing the crossings.
Since taking power in 2024, centre-left Labour has sought to "smash the gangs" that facilitate the journeys, including through increased cooperation with France.
In April, London signed a new three-year deal with Paris over the crossings, agreeing to pay up to 766 million euros ($897 million) to boost French law enforcement.
The British government argues the strategy is working, noting year-on-year migrant small boat arrivals in the first half of 2026 were down more than 42 percent to just over 14,000 people.
However, recent weeks have seen a spike, with a daily record for the year set on July 29 when 752 people arrived.
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Cover image: © France 2409:39
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
