Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has announced a hardline plan for the “mass deportation” of migrants who arrive in Britain on small boats if his party forms the next government.
In an interview, Farage stated he would withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights and negotiate agreements with countries like Afghanistan and Eritrea to repatriate individuals who entered illegally. He argued that the primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of British citizens, particularly women and girls, over concerns for the welfare of those deported to nations with poor human rights records.
The plan includes creating holding facilities for up to 24,000 migrants on former air bases and operating multiple daily deportation flights. If necessary, asylum seekers could be held on the remote British territory of Ascension Island as a deterrent.
This proposal comes amid significant public concern over immigration, with recent polls showing it as a top issue for voters. Last year, 37,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats, an increase of a quarter from the previous year.
