THE French government has responded after Reform UK announced plans to launch “the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War Two” to stop small boat arrivals from France.
A Farage-led Reform UK government would send the Royal Navy into the channel to intercept all migrant boats there and return them to France or Belgium under a plan called “Operation Fortress”, the party said earlier on Monday.
In a bid to attract voters back from Rupert Lowe's Restore party, Reform UK has proposed to set up a joint military command with units from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, RAF and British Army as well as a surveillance command to track incoming boats.
The armed forces would intercept any unauthorised boats and detain their occupants, giving them water and food and a medical assessment before returning them under escort on navy vessels.
Reform would pass emergency legislation “as necessary” to give the joint command any further required powers.
The party claims the plan is in line with international law and that it will both halt small boat arrivals and act as a humanitarian response.
The plans have already garnered significant criticism, with Labour branding the announcement as "reheated" and claiming it is "their latest desperate bid to distract from their growing sleaze scandals".
The French government has now also waded in, arguing the plans would be illegal.
The country's interior ministry said in a statement: "This would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law."
A Reform UK spokesperson said in response: "We will always stand up for British interests and protect our people, whether Emmanuel Macron likes it or not.
"Humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law."
Meanwhile, Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin, who has previously called for the burqa to be banned and was accused of racism after complaining about seeing "adverts full of black people, full of Asian people", said: "Pity the French did not show the same resolve in defending their sovereignty in June 1940."
And Reform's deputy leader in Scotland, MSP Thomas Kerr, said his party's plans would "restore Britain's defences against the invasion of illegals at our border".
The policy announcement comes as Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice is under investigation by a Westminster watchdog for allegedly failing to declare an interest in Israel.
