Reform Sets Out Operation Fortress to Stop Small Boat Crossings

Reform UK has unveiled Operation Fortress, its plan to prevent unauthorised small boats from reaching Britain and fundamentally change the country’s approach to illegal Channel crossings.

Shadow Home Secretary Zia Yusuf set out the proposals on 4 August, saying successive Conservative and Labour governments had failed to secure Britain’s borders and that a Reform government would take a markedly different approach.

An Integrated Surveillance Command

Central to Operation Fortress would be the creation of an Integrated Surveillance Command, bringing together military and intelligence capabilities to monitor the English Channel.

Reform says the objective would be to create one of the most closely monitored maritime borders in the world, allowing vessels attempting an illegal crossing to be identified and intercepted.

The party would deploy the Armed Forces, including the Royal Navy, as part of the operation.

Intercept and Return

Under Reform’s proposals, unauthorised vessels crossing from France would be intercepted before reaching Britain, with those aboard returned to France.

The party’s position is that removing the prospect of successfully reaching and remaining in the UK would undermine the business model of people-smuggling gangs and reduce the incentive for migrants to attempt the dangerous Channel crossing.

Yusuf said:

“Not one illegal immigrant will make it to Britain.”

Reform says it would seek cooperation with the French authorities to return those intercepted to French ports.

However, the party says its policy would not depend upon reaching a new agreement with France, and that a Reform government would be prepared to return those intercepted to the French coast if necessary.

A Different Approach to the Channel

Reform points towards Australia’s use of maritime interception policies as evidence that a much tougher approach can significantly reduce illegal crossings.

The party argues that stopping successful crossings would not only strengthen border security but could also save lives by discouraging people from attempting the dangerous journey across the Channel.

Operation Fortress therefore represents one of Reform UK’s strongest commitments on immigration and border control.

Yusuf said the party’s objective was straightforward: stop the boats from reaching Britain and restore control of the country’s borders.