Nigel Farage has made a stark Mass Deportation Pledge. The Reform UK leader vows to tackle small boat crossings. Specifically, he plans mass deportations of asylum seekers. He calls the situation a massive national crisis. Furthermore, he believes it threatens UK security. He also fears it could cause public disorder.
Therefore, his new plan involves arresting people on arrival. Then, officials would detain them on disused RAF bases. Afterwards, they would deport them to their home countries. Potential destinations include Afghanistan and Eritrea. However, this Mass Deportation Pledge faces huge hurdles. Legal challenges are almost certain. Political opposition is also very strong.
Moreover, Reform UK estimates a five-year cost of £10 billion. But the party claims it will save money overall. Consequently, spending on asylum hotels would end. The plan includes a new bill called the Illegal Migration Act. It proposes using British overseas territories for detention. Ascension Island is one suggested fallback location.
Alternatively, third countries like Rwanda could house migrants. The previous Conservative government tried a Rwanda scheme. It faced immense legal difficulties. Ultimately, only four people were sent there. Farage insists his approach will work. He says migrants will stop coming quickly. They would know detention and deportation await them.
Crucially, Farage also wants to leave the ECHR. The European Convention on Human Rights often blocks deportations. Leaving it would be a major legal shift. The government faces growing pressure on immigration. Asylum applications recently hit a record 111,000. Meanwhile, small boat arrivals increased by 38%.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper criticized the previous administration. She said they left a system in chaos. She pledged stronger enforcement and returns. Labour minister Angela Eagle dismissed Farage’s plan. She called it pie in the sky policy. She accused him of plucking numbers from the air.
The Conservatives also responded critically. They said Reform was simply recycling old ideas. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp questioned Farage’s consistency. He noted Farage once said mass deportations were impossible. Now, it is his central policy. This Mass Deportation Pledge dominates the immigration debate.
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