Farage Outlines Deportation Plans in Reform UK Policy

Nigel Farage has pledged to introduce mass deportations of asylum seekers arriving in the UK on small boats, setting out a series of measures Reform UK would seek to implement if it entered government.

The proposals, expected to be formally unveiled this week, include arresting asylum seekers immediately upon arrival, placing them in automatic detention, and deporting them to countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea, where conditions raise significant safety and legal concerns that could face international scrutiny. Farage also suggested that deportation flights could run on a daily basis, with up to five charter planes leaving the UK each day.

As part of the plan, Reform UK would pursue agreements with third countries to receive asylum seekers. This could involve reviving the Conservative government’s previously attempted Rwanda policy, which has faced legal and political challenges. In addition, British overseas territories, including Ascension Island, have been cited as potential fallback destinations for deportations.

Farage said the measures could lead to “hundreds of thousands” of removals if enforced, presenting the policy as a response to what he described as growing public concern over small boat arrivals and their impact on housing and local services.

The announcement comes as tensions rise around the use of asylum hotels across the country. In Essex, the Government confirmed plans to appeal a High Court ruling that blocked the use of a hotel in Epping to accommodate asylum seekers.

Reform UK’s strategy also includes a pledge to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and to repeal the UK’s Human Rights Act. Farage argued that both steps were necessary to implement strict border controls without legal obstruction. Under the proposed framework, those arriving by small boats would be barred from making asylum claims in Britain altogether.

The policies reflect a hard-line approach to border enforcement and immigration control, issues that continue to dominate political debate in the UK. Supporters of tougher measures argue they are essential for maintaining national security and public confidence in the asylum system, while critics warn of legal, humanitarian, and diplomatic challenges to such proposals.

Farage has positioned Reform UK as the party prepared to deliver the most uncompromising stance on small boat crossings, an issue that remains a focal point in British politics and national security discussions.