The Announcement Comes As the Party Faces Falling Poll Numbers After Revelations About Gifts and Donations to Senior Figures

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled "Operation Fortress" on Monday, promising the largest military operation in the Channel since World War Two to intercept and return asylum seekers arriving in small boats to France. "Under a Reform government, within a fortnight, there would be no more boats, Farage told reporters, citing a migration crisis in Spain's Ceuta enclave. The announcement comes as the party faces falling poll numbers after revelations about gifts and donations to senior figures.

Labour dismissed the plan as repackaged old policies to deflect from financial questions, while experts questioned its feasibility. Andrew Fox, a former paratrooper and senior associate fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, said the plan "sounds magnificent, provided you know nothing about ships, sailors, France or the law, noting Britain cannot enter French waters or disembark passengers in Calais without permission. Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Sunday promised "relentless" action after figures showed over 2,000 arrivals since he took office two weeks ago.