France says Reform UK plan to stop migrant boats illegal

France has strongly condemned a proposal by the hard-right Reform UK party to deploy the Royal Navy in the English Channel to intercept and return migrant boats to France. The French interior ministry declared the plan a "violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law." The policy, unveiled by party leader Nigel Farage, envisions what he termed "the largest military operation" in the Channel since World War II.

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would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law

Farage, a prominent Brexit campaigner, stated on social media that "humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law" and vowed that Reform UK would "stand up for British interests, whether French President Emmanuel Macron likes it or not." The party's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, insisted that any French resistance to the plan "would be a crime against humanity," adding that Royal Marines would disembark migrants on the French shore if Paris refused cooperation.

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What happened in Ceuta over the weekend shows you just how serious this situation is

The proposal, which Reform UK could only implement if it wins the next general election due by 2029, comes at a time when the party is facing scrutiny. Farage and Reform have seen their lead in national polls diminish recently, and the party is embroiled in several scandals and official probes into its finances. The parliamentary standards commissioner is investigating alleged "failure to declare" a financial interest by the party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, and separately probing Farage himself for an alleged breach of parliamentary rules.

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humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law

Despite the controversies and potential legal challenges, Farage predicted Reform UK would stop the boats "within a fortnight." However, former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe expressed skepticism, stating that "the idea of... ferrying people back to France, against the French's will, to me just doesn't add up." The Conservative government previously proposed and abandoned a similar policy in 2020.

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stand up for British interests, whether French President Emmanuel Macron likes it or not