France hits out at Reform UK plan to return migrants using Navy

France has hit out at a Reform UK plan to return migrant boats using the Navy, saying the proposals would violate its sovereignty and breach international law.

Nigel Farage's party announced that if it was in power it would intercept boats crossing the English Channel and return migrants to French ports, even if France disagreed.

Opposition parties branded the plan unworkable, while a Labour minister said it would lead to "a lot of time arguing with France" instead of "actually getting to grips with the problem".

Responding to the French government, a Reform spokesperson said: "We will always stand up for British interests and protect our people, whether Emmanuel Macron likes it or not."

The spokesperson added: "Humanitarian missions do not violate maritime or international law."

Under the plans, which Reform said it would bring in if it entered government after the next election, military-crewed inflatable boats deployed from 10 Navy patrol vessels would be used to "come alongside" migrant boats crossing the English Channel.

Border Force officers and police stationed onboard would be tasked with arresting people in the boats, and they would then be returned to France or Belgium by Navy personnel or Marines.

The party said returns operations would be conducted by military personnel with Border Force officers on hand in case of "non-compliance", with a Bay Class landing ship providing "detention capacity at sea" for up to 700 people.

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Reform's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said the party would aim to get agreement to disembark arrested migrants at French ports.

He added: "If the Elysee Palace refuses, make no mistake - His Majesty's Royal Marines will disembark them safely on the very shore they left that morning".

Speaking alongside him, Farage played down the prospect of a diplomatic confrontation with the French, claiming that attitudes in France towards the idea were "softening".

But in a statement issued later on Monday, the French interior ministry said: "This would constitute a violation of French sovereignty, as well as a violation of the law of the sea and international law."

A spokesperson for the department added that measures agreed with the UK, as well as "operations deployed at the local level", had already led to a reduction in crossings so far this year compared to the same period in 2025.

Between 1 January and 1 August 2026, a total of 14,526 people crossed the English Channel by small boat from France. This was down by 43% on the same period the previous year.

These crossings have