Reform UK’s Plan to Return Small-Boat Migrants Disputed

Reform UK, under the leadership of party chairman Richard Tice, has made a bold pledge to pick up small-boat migrants in the English Channel and return them to France. Tice claims that the UK is legally entitled to do so, but is there evidence to support this claim?

International maritime laws do allow a state to rescue people at sea if they are in danger of being lost. However, these laws do not permit the state to take rescued individuals to another country without the explicit consent of that nation. In this case, the French government would need to grant permission for UK vessels to transport rescued migrants through their territorial waters and allow them to disembark on French shores.

According to shipping lawyer James M Turner KC, there must be express permission from France for migrants to be returned to French territory. Ainhoa Campàs Velasco, a maritime law expert from the University of Southampton, also asserts that migrants cannot be returned to France without prior agreement from the French government.

Despite these legal requirements, there is currently no formal agreement in place between the UK and France regarding the return of migrants. Mr. Tice claims to have his own legal advice supporting his stance, but has not shared this information with the public, despite requests from various sources for clarification.

The question remains: can the UK legally pick up small-boat migrants in the English Channel and return them to France without formal consent? The answer, according to legal experts, is no. Without an agreement between the two countries, such actions would be in violation of international maritime laws.

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