Reform UK has unveiled an ambitious proposal to use the Armed Forces to halt small boat crossings, placing border security at the centre of its electoral strategy ahead of the next general election.
The party says its plan, dubbed Operation Fortress, would constitute the largest military deployment for a domestic security mission since the Second World War.
Under the proposal, Royal Navy vessels would intercept every migrant boat attempting to cross the English Channel before escorting those onboard back towards French or Belgian waters.
Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, described the Channel situation as a national emergency, arguing successive Conservative and Labour governments had failed to regain operational control of Britain’s maritime border.
The proposal envisages a unified military command bringing together the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force, supported by dedicated surveillance assets to detect vessels before they reach UK waters. Migrants intercepted at sea would receive food, water and medical assessments before being transported back across the Channel. Reform says emergency legislation would be introduced if required to provide additional legal authority for the operation.
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The announcement follows renewed political pressure over migration after 752 people crossed the Channel in a single day last week, the highest daily figure recorded this year. More than 2,000 migrants have also arrived since Prime Minister Andy Burnham entered Downing Street in July.
Reform argues the policy is intended both to restore border control and reduce fatalities on one of Europe’s busiest shipping routes. According to the University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory, 162 people died attempting to cross the Channel between 2018 and 2025.
The proposal also reflects wider political shifts across Europe. France’s National Rally has previously indicated it would support closer Anglo-French maritime cooperation, including joint patrols aimed at preventing irregular crossings.
Labour dismissed the announcement as a recycled policy, arguing that recent government measures had already reduced crossings and increased removals. The party also accused Reform of using the proposal to divert attention from unrelated political controversies.
The debate illustrates how migration remains one of the defining issues in British politics, with competing parties increasingly presenting sharply different visions of how the UK’s borders should be managed.
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