REVEALED: Reform UK unveils plan to STOP the boats upon entering No10 as chairman claims Royal Navy on standby
Lee Anderson says Reform UK's illegal migration policy is still to 'turn …
GB News
Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf has revealed how his party would tackle illegal immigration into Britain if it won the keys to Downing Street.
It comes as migrants continue to make their way across the English Channel despite commitments made by the two main parties to bring down the numbers.
More than 1,000 small boat migrants have crossed the English Channel illegally since the beginning of the year, GB News can exclusively reveal.
The milestone figure was reached a week ahead of last year, when 1,000 migrants had crossed by 28 January.
Nigel Farage would call in the Royal Navy to control numbers, says Reform chairman
Getty Images/GB News
Reacting to a new leaked confidential report that found one in 12 illegal immigrants are currently living in London, Yusuf has revealed how Nigel Farage would attempt to bring down the numbers if he were to win the next General Election.
He told GB News: “We've been very clear that if you come here illegally, if your first act on coming is to break our laws, you will be deported. But first of all, you need to stop the tap. So if the bath is overflowing, you need to stop the water from coming in.
“The first thing Nigel will do when he becomes the Prime Minister of this country, is to pick up the phone to the First Sea Lord and issue an order to His Majesty's Royal Navy to ensure that not a single unauthorised vessel crossing the English Channel makes it to the shores of the United Kingdom.
“It will be a humanitarian mission. I speak to many people at the most senior levels inside of His Majesty's Navy who say all they need is political clarity. They keep using that word. Give us political clarity. We will ensure those boats stop coming, nobody's harmed, they are taken back to France."
Is this doable?
The Navy would face considerable legal and ethical challenges if it deployed forces to take boats back to France.
International maritime laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, stipulate that countries must assist any person in distress at sea, which complicates any policy of turning back migrant boats.
There would also be concerns about the humanitarian aspects, where such actions could lead to loss of life or further endanger migrants.
Furthermore, it would require buy-in from the French, who have raised legal and humanitarian concerns about any strategy involving turning back boats and pushed back against unilateral efforts by the UK to control immigration.
However, Reform's proposal has considerable backing in Britain, polling suggests.
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A whopping 99 per cent were in favour of the policy, while just one per cent disagreed
Getty ImagesAt the end of last year, GB News Members were asked whether they think Britain should turn boats back to France.
A whopping 99 per cent were in favour of the policy, while just one per cent disagreed.
Proponents point to the continent as evidence that turning back the boats brings down the numbers.
The Italian government recently struck a £90million deal with Tunisia, allowing their border force and coastguard vessels to turn boats around and return them to the Tunisian coast.
This has reduced Mediterranean crossings by more than 60 per cent since taking effect.
GB News has approached the MoD for comment.
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