Reform UK proposes Royal Navy operation to stop small boats as Burnham vows 'relentless' fight

Reform UK proposes military operation

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, unveiled a plan on Sunday to deploy the Royal Navy to intercept all small boats crossing the English Channel and return them to France or Belgium. The proposal, named "Operation Fortress", would establish a joint military command integrating the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, RAF, and British Army, supported by a dedicated surveillance command. Armed forces would intercept unauthorised vessels, detain occupants, provide water, food, and medical assessments, then escort them back on navy ships. The party said it would pass emergency legislation "as necessary" to grant additional powers. Zia Yusuf, the party's home affairs spokesman, described the situation as an invasion.

Britain is being invaded. Tory and Labour governments responded with a free ferry service and free hotels. Reform UK will respond by launching the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War Two.

Yusuf added that under a Farage government, not a single unauthorised vessel would reach UK shores, rendering the border "impenetrable". The party cited the recent breach of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where about 60,000 migrants crossed the border, as evidence of urgency. It also pointed to 162 deaths in the Channel between 2018 and 2025, according to the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory, framing the plan as a humanitarian measure. The Labour Party dismissed the announcement as "reheated", arguing that "anger and easy answers won't bring crossings down".

Burnham's Dover visit and enforcement push

On the same day, Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Dover and pledged to be "relentless" in tackling people-smuggling gangs. He said the government was not complacent, despite a significant drop in crossings compared to the same period last year. Since Burnham took office on 20 July, 2,057 people have arrived in small boats, compared with 1,962 in the equivalent period of 2025. On Saturday alone, 326 migrants arrived in four boats. The total for the year so far has fallen significantly compared with this time in 2025.

People want to see this issue addressed. I heard that on the doorsteps in Makerfield, but we also need to build a system that offers safe routes for people as well, because that also takes away the selling point of the gangs.

The Home Office announced that the number of National Crime Agency officers tackling organised immigration crime had risen to almost 800, up from 376 at the start of 2025. Burnham noted a similar doubling of French officers. More than 1,000 small boats or engines have been seized since Labour came to power in 2024. He stressed the need to "deal with the issue rather than play politics" and to restore public confidence in border control while offering support to those in genuine need. He said the government was "changing the whole approach" and "slowly but surely putting in place those building blocks of a very different approach".

The public don't like the idea that the border looks like it's not controlled. We need to bring back that control. But also we need to offer support for people who genuinely need it.

Ceuta and the Schengen dimension

Burnham also addressed the Ceuta incident, noting that 98% of the migrants who swam into the North African territory had been returned to Morocco. He said this dealt with the immediate issue but highlighted a broader question about the Schengen area and the UK's relationship with it.

There's a broader issue about the Schengen area and our relationship with it, and of course, I would want to be in regular dialogue with the EU on those issues.

The Reform UK plan, by contrast, focuses on unilateral military action, with emergency legislation to grant additional powers if necessary.