The Reform UK party recently stated that if they win the next election, they will prepare to repatriate 600,000 immigrants within five years.
During a press conference, party leader Nigel Farage questioned party chairman Zia Yusuf about the feasibility of deporting 500,000 to 600,000 people during the first term of a Reform UK government.
Yusuf responded that it is “absolutely feasible” and stated that “over 650,000 adults” are currently illegally residing in the UK, and they can be “swiftly and effectively” deported.
This target far exceeds any proposals put forward by other political parties in the past. According to data from the UK Home Office, as of June this year, there have been 10,652 deportation cases related to asylum applications.
Government data shows that since 2020, a total of 188,969 illegal immigrants have been detected.
The next UK general election is scheduled to take place before August 15, 2029. Despite having only four parliamentary members currently, Reform UK is leading in several opinion polls.
Farage stated that according to the party’s previously released plans, any individual arriving in the UK by small boats will be prohibited from applying for asylum.
These individuals mainly arrive through small boats, with a minority entering through land, air, and sea routes, primarily from Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Iran, and Sudan.
Since winning the election last July, the Labour government has pledged to combat the issue of small boat crossings by “disrupting” people smuggling operations.
A record-breaking 28,288 people have crossed the English Channel by small boats this year, a 46% increase compared to the same period in 2024. In the past year up to June, there were 111,000 asylum applications, reaching a historical high.
When announcing the repatriation plan named “Operation Restoring Justice,” Farage stated that the “only way” to stop small boat crossings in the English Channel is to “detain and deport all those who enter through this route.”
According to the plan, entrants will be immediately arrested, detained at abandoned Royal Air Force bases, and repatriated to their countries of origin upon agreement, including Afghanistan and Eritrea, from where a large number of immigrants arriving by small boats originate.
He predicted that “with this approach, the influx of boats will cease within a few days.”
Reform UK also claims that their government will implement a “carrot and stick” strategy to encourage voluntary return of immigrants, offering a £2500 incentive.
The party also plans to establish repatriation centers in remote areas, detaining up to 24,000 people within 18 months, and increase the number of repatriation charter flights to five per day.
Reform UK announced an allocation of £2 billion to compensate Afghanistan and other countries or provide assistance for the return of immigrants, and may impose sanctions on uncooperative nations.
The party will seek agreement from countries like Rwanda, Albania, to accommodate immigrants, and consider using British overseas territories like the Ascension Island as a “fallback plan” to house individuals who cannot be immediately repatriated to other countries.
The UK government is currently preparing to implement the “one in, one out” pilot program announced last month with France, which involves the repatriation of the first batch of immigrants to France, though the number of individuals to be repatriated under this agreement has not been disclosed.
This program stipulates that the UK will accept an equal number of asylum seekers who have not attempted to cross the border and have passed security and qualification checks.
Reform UK states that this plan would cost around £10 billion over five years.
At the core of the Reform UK plan is the Illegal Migration/Mass Deportation Bill.
The party states that the bill will give the Home Secretary the statutory responsibility to deport illegal immigrants and ban any deported individual from entering the UK for life.
The bill will also “repeal” the Refugee Convention. This 1951 treaty prohibits signatory countries like the UK from returning refugees to countries where their lives or freedoms are at serious risk.
To simplify the repatriation process, Reform UK also promises to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which aims to safeguard human rights and political freedoms.
The party further states it will replace the Human Rights Act with the British Bill of Rights, which will apply solely to British citizens and lawful residents.
This proposal may face legal challenges and political opposition.
Labour Party chair Ellie Reeves criticized the six-page plan for lacking details, while Yusuf had claimed four months ago that it would be a “comprehensive strategy” containing a “full policy document,” “yearly timetable,” and “clear objectives.”
The Conservatives accused Reform UK of only “repackaging” established Conservative policies. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp MP criticized, “Months have passed, and Reform UK has not only failed to address the key work of solving the immigration crisis but has directly copied and pasted our proposals.”
(References made to BBC reporting in this article)