France condemns Reform UK plan to use Royal Navy against Channel migrant boats

France has condemned a proposal by Reform UK to deploy the Royal Navy to return small boats carrying migrants across the Channel to France if the party wins power. The plan was unveiled by Nigel Farage at a press conference and described by the party as a major military operation to stop crossings. France's interior ministry said the proposal would breach French sovereignty, maritime law and international law.

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Mr Farage said the policy was prompted by recent migrant crossings into Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, which he said showed how serious the wider migration situation had become. Reform UK said it would use naval assets to intercept boats and send them back, arguing that such action would protect British interests. Mr Farage also said the party would proceed whether French President Emmanuel Macron agreed or not.

The row adds to an already tense debate over irregular migration in Europe and highlights the continuing political sensitivity of Channel crossings. The Channel route has long been a focal point in UK politics, with successive governments under pressure to reduce small-boat arrivals and to show that border controls are effective. Any attempt to return boats at sea would raise immediate legal and diplomatic questions, particularly because the Channel is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and because France would have to cooperate for any returns arrangement to work smoothly.

The proposal also comes as Reform UK faces scrutiny on other fronts. The party has recently been involved in a series of scandals and official probes into its finances, and parliament's standards commissioner said an investigation had been opened into an alleged failure to declare a financial interest by deputy leader Richard Tice. Mr Farage has also been subject to a separate parliamentary rules probe, which was suspended after he resigned as an MP to trigger a by-election he is contesting.