Nigel Farage has warned that weak immigration controls are becoming a serious problem for the country, saying they are putting pressure on public finances, affecting the safety of women and girls, and even raising concerns about national security.
He said that if Reform UK were in power, they would aim to remove around one million migrants during their first term. According to him, people who entered the UK illegally would be offered a free flight out of the country along with £1,000.
If they refuse to leave voluntarily, they would be deported by force. He argued that it is unfair for British taxpayers to support people who entered the country illegally, especially those who may have hidden their identities and could rely on public funds for years. He also claimed this situation is putting pressure on communities and housing, with some migrants ending up high on the social housing list.
Speaking alongside Zia Yusuf, Farage also outlined plans to remove up to 400,000 people who have been granted asylum in the last five years. These include people who arrived illegally, overstayed their visas and later claimed asylum, or came from countries now considered safe. Under his proposal, their legal right to stay in the UK would be taken away.
This adds to an earlier promise by the party to deport all illegal migrants currently in the UK, as well as those arriving by small boats, which they estimate could affect around 600,000 people.
Farage said he expects more migrants to arrive during the summer, warning that tens of thousands could come into the country. He repeated his earlier claim that the UK is facing what he described as an “invasion,” saying his warning had proven true, even if some people disagreed with his choice of words at the time.
He also said many voters feel their concerns about immigration have been ignored for too long. According to him, this has damaged public trust in the political system, calling the situation unfair and wrong on many levels.
Reform UK says it would run up to five deportation flights every day and would leave the European Convention on Human Rights to avoid legal challenges. The party also plans to build detention centres in remote areas of the country, with space to hold up to 24,000 people while they wait to be removed.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have criticised these plans, saying they are similar to their own proposals. Chris Philp said the Conservative Party has already put forward a detailed Borders Plan, which includes leaving the ECHR and stopping asylum claims from illegal migrants. He said their plan would allow for deportations within a week and aims to remove up to 150,000 people each year who do not have the right to stay in the UK.
