A new People Polling has found that almost half of respondents support Nigel Farage's proposal for the Royal Marines to take migrants back to France.
The Reform UK leader called for the UK to do "whatever it takes" to tackle the small boat crisis adding what he thought was the most effective way of preventing migrants paying smugglers to cross the Channel.
People Polling from June found 43 per cent of those surveyed strongly or tended to support the Royal Marines taking illegal boat migrants back to France.
Meanwhile, 33 per cent of people strongly or tended to oppose Farage's proposal and 24 per cent did not know.
Among Conservatives, 71% support this while 16% oppose it.
Professor Matt Goodwin said: "If Nigel Farage and Reform were hoping that this policy would appeal to rank-and-file Conservatives then the bet appears to have paid off, with nearly three-quarters of 2019 Conservative Party voters supporting the policy and a plurality of all voters.
"There is clearly significant public appetite for using the Royal Marines to help resolve this crisis."
On Tuesday, Farage travelled to French waters to highlight the "unacceptable" practice of French warships escorting migrants across the channel.
While he was there, he saw the 50,000th migrant crossing the Channel since Rishi Sunak became prime minister in October 2022 with several boats bringing in about 150 migrants to the UK.
Farage said that all those who come to the UK illegally should be sent home regardless of how safe their home country is.
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He added that this could be achieved by leaving the European Convention of Human Rights.
Speaking from a fishing boat, Farage said: "We’ve got to say to the French: this is a completely unacceptable practice. You are literally aiding and abetting the criminal gangs, and certainly no more money. Why have we given them [the money]?
“There’s no way, having paid £500 million that we should be allowing the French to carry on the way that they are. No way. That should have been part of our negotiation. ‘We give you the money, but you stop escorting the boats over. Once again, the government missed that opportunity.’”
Replying to a question asking what should happen if the French refuse he said: “If necessary, yep, the Royal Marines take people back and put them on a French beach. It’ll cause a hell of a row, just as Tony Abbott sending boats back to Indonesia caused a row but you do it a few and they stop paying smugglers.”
People Polling surveyed 1,932 adults from the UK between June 25 and June 26 about the upcoming general election.
