## Reform UK Proposes Swift Deportation Strategy Amid Rising Channel Crossings
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has outlined an ambitious plan for drastically increasing deportations, anticipating a potential rise in the number of people attempting to cross the English Channel this summer. The proposal, which includes the creation of a dedicated Deportations Minister should Reform win the next General Election, aims for a “zero tolerance” approach towards illegal residency within the UK.
In a recent article for *The Mail on Sunday*, Farage detailed what he calls a “comprehensive strategy” to address the ongoing situation. He stated, “As Prime Minister, I will ensure our country operates a zero tolerance policy for illegal residence.”
Key elements of Reform UK’s plan include:
- Legally sound and administratively feasible measures.
- Utilizing special legislation to overcome existing legal obstacles.
- Withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights.
- Drafted legislation designed to bypass international treaties, preventing asylum or human rights claims from delaying deportations.
Farage emphasized that UK courts would no longer be permitted to obstruct deportations based on international agreements perceived as detrimental to British interests. The plan also envisions negotiating return agreements and increasing pressure on enforcement agencies to swiftly identify, detain, and remove individuals arriving illegally via charter flights.
“Allowing illegal immigrants to stay here indefinitely would be more expensive,” Farage argued. “The current annual accommodation budget for housing asylum seekers is around £4billion to £5billion. This must end.” He acknowledged the initial cost of implementing his plan as “significant” but maintained that it would ultimately prove economically beneficial.
Drawing a parallel with former US President Barack Obama, who oversaw the deportation of over three million undocumented immigrants between 2009 and 2017, Farage suggested his approach could yield similarly substantial results.
However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer highlighted that over 24,000 deportations have occurred since Labour took office. Speaking at the Organised Crime Summit in London last month, he condemned the situation as unfair to taxpayers and vulnerable migrants exploited by criminal gangs: “It’s unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price from the cost of hotels to our public services, struggling under the strain, and it’s unfair on the illegal migrants themselves, because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs.”
Recent data reveals a concerning increase in Channel crossings, with over 9,000 individuals having already completed the journey from Calais to Kent this year. Furthermore, figures released earlier this month indicate that more than 30,000 migrants have arrived on British shores since Starmer became Prime Minister.
Adding to the complexity of the situation, Labour has faced scrutiny over a directive from the Home Office instructing private contractor Serco to offer landlords five-year guaranteed rental agreements for housing asylum seekers. The firm subsequently published a list of local authorities expected to accommodate an influx of migrants arriving via the Channel.
The process has also been marred by instances where asylum seekers have been granted permission to remain in the UK under unusual circumstances, including:
- An Albanian convict who avoided deportation due to his son’s reluctance to consume foreign chicken nuggets.
- A convicted paedophile whose residency was prolonged over concerns about his struggles with alcoholism.
- Irfan Khalid, a convicted terrorist who renounced his British citizenship and sought voluntary return to Pakistan, but was blocked on human rights grounds.
