The UK political party Reform has proposed a plan, dubbed "Operation Fortress," aimed at addressing the ongoing issue of migrants crossing the English Channel. The plan involves detaining migrants at sea, providing them with food and water, and then returning them under escort on naval vessels to France or Belgium. However, experts and officials have raised doubts about the feasibility and legality of the proposal.
Under the plan, the Royal Navy's offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) would replace the Border Force’s existing fleet of cutters and patrol ships in intercepting migrant boats. These OPVs, which are approximately 80 meters long, are currently deployed around the UK but are scheduled for decommissioning by 2028 and may be sold to Uruguay. One OPV, HMS Tyne, is presently engaged in shadowing a Russian frigate in the North Sea alongside a French corvette. Some navy experts have suggested deploying frigates instead, though Tom Sharpe, a former navy commander, called this an inefficient use of military assets.
The operational approach would involve Royal Marines using inflatable boats to approach often overcrowded dinghies and transfer migrants for return. However, officials acknowledge that migrants may resist cooperation due to fears of arrest. Former navy captain John Foreman emphasized that maritime law, specifically Article 98 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, requires mariners to assist persons in distress without creating dangerous conditions.
The UK has previously used the navy in migrant interception efforts. In 2022, Operation Isotrope was launched under former Home Secretary Priti Patel with the goal of deterring crossings. Plans for so-called "pushbacks," which would have forced migrant boats to turn back toward France, were abandoned amid concerns from military officials regarding safety, practicality, and legal risks.
Reform’s leader Nigel Farage has argued that Operation Fortress differs from pushbacks, characterizing it as a rescue and return operation rather than a forced turnaround. Farage claimed that the French government would cooperate in accepting the returned migrants, though he did not name any French officials. Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, said that if France refused, the marines would return migrants to French shores regardless.
Legal experts and French officials have strongly criticized the plan. Immigration barrister Colin Yeo described such actions as a breach of French sovereignty and an illegal use of force under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. A French government official called the proposal "unacceptable," asserting that the UK would not expect an allied nation to infringe on its territory or waters without consent.
The plan highlights the ongoing tensions between the UK and France over managing Channel crossings and underscores the complex legal and operational challenges facing efforts to control irregular migration by sea.