Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has endorsed Reform UK’s newly announced migrant policy, Operation Fortress, which aims to deploy the Royal Navy to turn back small boats in the English Channel.

 

Australia Prime Minister supports Operation Fortress by Reform

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has endorsed Reform UK’s newly announced migrant policy, Operation Fortress, which aims to deploy the Royal Navy to turn back small boats in the English Channel.

The current Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, has not issued an endorsement. Rather, it is Tony Abbott—who served as Prime Minister from 2013 to 2015—who publicly backed the plan.

 

Key Details of the Endorsement

• The Stance: Abbott called Operation Fortress an essential move to stop what he termed a "peaceful invasion" of Britain.
• The Precedent: Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage modeled the policy directly after Abbott's own 2013 military-led Operation Sovereign Borders, which successfully halted asylum seeker boat arrivals in Australia.
• Abbott's Advice: Abbott stated that the UK must be prepared to return migrants directly to French beaches, using unsinkable life rafts if necessary, regardless of whether full diplomatic cooperation from France is achieved.

Overview of Operation Fortress

Reform UK unveiled the proposal as a heavy military intervention to curb Channel crossings:

Policy Element	Description
Primary Force	Deploying the Royal Navy and Royal Marines to intercept small boats.
The Return Strategy	Picking up migrants and physically returning them to the French shores they departed from.
Surveillance Command	Creating a unified military and intelligence network to tightly monitor the maritime border.
Diplomatic Friction	The policy is designed to execute turnbacks even if French authorities refuse to cooperate, drawing criticism over potential violations of international maritime law.