UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Reform UK leader Nigel Farage outlines plans for mass deportations, aiming to remove illegal migrants and bypass international law to tighten borders.
As reported by The Guardian, Nigel Farage will present Reform’s strategy to curb small boat crossings, detailing the party’s agenda if it wins the 2029 election.
Nigel Farage’s views on mass deportations and asylum rules
Nigel Farage said his proposals could trigger mass deportations and prevent illegal migrants from claiming asylum.
He stated,
“No longer will these malign influences be allowed to frustrate deportations. The planes will take off, and plenty of them at that. The time has come to put this country first. This is all a question of priorities.”
Mr Farage said,
“Is Keir Starmer on the side of the British people, national security and protecting women and girls – or is he on the side of outdated international treaties and human rights lawyers?”
According to him, the number of deportations under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s agreement with France is “too small to matter,” adding, “It isn’t going to work, it isn’t going to happen. The French aren’t there to help us.”
Mr Farage vowed to quit the European Convention on Human Rights and scrap the Human Rights Act to tackle illegal migration.
The party plans to replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights for UK citizens and legal residents.
What did Zia Yusuf say about Reform UK’s plan to deport illegal immigrants?
Zia Yusuf, head of Reform’s efficiency team, argued that deporting all illegal immigrants from the UK is achievable, overturning Mr Farage’s earlier claim of “political impossibility.”
He said,
“(Nigel Farage) said it was a political impossibility. His view on that clearly has decisively changed because of the facts on the ground and the fact that we’ve now done the work that this not only can be done, but it must be done. The social contract in this country is hanging by a thread.”
Mr Yusuf said Reform UK will launch a “deportation command,” with illegal entrants detained and barred from moving freely in local communities.
He added,
“And this is a temporary programme, so regardless of where they are, regardless of the accommodation, they will be gone at the end of Nigel’s first term.”
What did Dame Angela Eagle say about Reform and Tory migration plans?
Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle said both Reform UK and Conservative plans were little more than “fantasy solutions” to the ongoing immigration crisis.
Ahead of Mr Farage’s migration plan announcement, she added, “These are back-of-the-fag-packet plans without the substance on delivery.”
Keir Starmer’s agreement to tackle illegal immigration
Amid calls from Reform and some Labour MPs, Keir Starmer focused on tackling illegal immigration and restoring order to the asylum system.
Since Labour took office last summer, over 50,000 people have crossed the Channel on small boats, surpassing a figure Keir Starmer had wanted to delay.
The British and French governments launched a “one in, one out” scheme over the summer to tackle illegal small-boat crossings. France will take back undocumented arrivals, while the UK will accept the same number of lawful asylum seekers with family ties.
A government source said,
“Detentions of those arriving from France have been taking place over the last 24 hours, so these small boat migrants may end up finding themselves being bussed to a detention centre before the day is out.”
What did Matthew Pennycook say about the “one in, one out” migrant scheme?
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook confirmed that the first small-boat migrants have been detained to implement the UK-France “one in, one out” deal.
He said,
“Well, there is capacity in the system. But as you know, the pressures that we have in the debate about hotel use and other forms of contingency accommodation. But that contingency accommodation, including hotels, including large-scale government-owned sites … for example, Napier Barracks in Kent, are there.”
During an interview, when asked about the effectiveness of the “one in, one out” plan in preventing further small-boat arrivals, he stated,
“Well, it’s early days in terms of this pilot scheme getting up and running. We are confident that, as part of a wider comprehensive plan, it will act as a deterrent. But don’t forget, the key elements of our strategy are not yet enforced.”
Mr Matthew said,
“Our borders bill, which will give law enforcement new counter terror-style powers to tackle the gangs who are running this vile trade that’s still going through parliament. French authorities are still reviewing their laws so that border enforcement teams on their side of the Channel can intervene in shallow waters.”
He added,
“So taken as a whole, yes, the package, we are confident will work. It won’t be a quick, overnight fix, but we’re taking the unglamorous, hard-headed, practical steps needed to clamp down on this crisis. In contrast, I have to say to parties trying to hoodwink the British public with unworkable gimmicks.”
Asylum seekers in the UK in 2025
The UK saw a record 111,084 asylum applications in the year ending June 2025, a 14% rise from last year. The number of asylum seekers housed in hotels increased to 32,059, though still below the 2023 peak of 56,042.
Initial grants of asylum fell to 48%, down from 58% the previous year. This decline is linked to stricter evidence rules under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.