Nigel Farage Promises Mass Deportation of Irregular Migrants and Withdrawal from European Human Rights Court

Strategic Insights -

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced plans to deport hundreds of thousands of irregular migrants, including those living in the UK illegally, and to withdraw the country from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the 1951 UN Refugee Convention for a five-year period. Farage's party claims that this will be necessary to tackle public concerns about irregular migration, which has risen up the political agenda amid protests over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. Farage believes that between 500,000 and 600,000 people could be deported in five years if his party wins power.

Key Takeaways:

  • Nigel Farage has promised the mass deportation of irregular migrants, including those living in the UK illegally, as part of Reform UK's election platform.
  • The party plans to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the 1951 UN Refugee Convention for a five-year period to facilitate the deportation process.
  • Farage estimates that between 500,000 and 600,000 people could be deported in five years if his party wins power, citing a need to tackle public concerns about irregular migration.
  • The plan would mirror the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the US under President Donald Trump, with Reform UK planning to detain and deport people arriving by small boats.
  • The party vows to place those rounded up in surplus army bases, as well as build detention centers to hold tens of thousands.
  • The plan would cost £10 billion over five years, according to Reform UK.
  • Reform UK's leader, Nigel Farage, has said that his party is not afraid to take on the establishment and advance the interests of the British people, even if it means facing criticism from other parts of society.
  • Downing Street has rejected Farage's plans, ruling out suspending application of the ECHR and describing Change UK's proposal as "not serious".
  • However, the government refused to denounce Farage for talking about an "invasion" and acknowledged that irregular migration did "make people angry".

Statistics:

  • In 2024, the UK received approximately 108,100 asylum applicants, a record and the fifth-highest number in Europe.
  • When adjusted for population size, the UK received the 17th-highest number of applications compared with the EU27 plus Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, according to the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.
  • Farage estimates that between 500,000 and 600,000 people could be deported in five years if his party wins power.

Sources:

  • Byline: ANNA GROSS AND GEORGE PARKER (no specific date)
  • Reform UK (no specific date)
  • Downing Street (no specific date)
  • Migration Observatory at Oxford University (no specific date)
  • Good Friday Agreement (1998)