Aysu Bicer
03 August 2026•Update: 03 August 2026
France has rejected far-right Reform UK's proposal to use the Royal Navy to intercept migrant boats in the English Channel and return those on board to France, saying the plan would breach French sovereignty and international law, according to British media on Monday.
The proposal would involve British naval vessels picking up migrants crossing the Channel in small boats and taking them back to French territory, regardless of whether France had agreed to allow British military personnel into its territorial waters.
"This would be a violation of French sovereignty as well as a violation of maritime law and international law," a spokesperson for the French Interior Ministry told Sky News.
"Separately, as part of the measures put in place with the UK and the arrangements deployed at the local level, the interior ministry states that the number of crossings is down in 2026," the spokesperson added.
Reform UK has rejected France's criticism, insisting its proposal would not breach international law.
In a statement, a party spokesperson said: "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," the spokesperson added.
A total of 14,526 people crossed the English Channel in small boats from France between Jan. 1 and Aug. 1, 2026, representing a 43% decrease compared with the same period in the previous year, according to Home Office figures.
Since 2020, small boat crossings have become the most common method by which people are detected entering the UK illegally.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, people arriving by small boat accounted for 42% of all asylum applications submitted in the UK.
