- Party says immigration levels amount to a national security emergency.
- Labour says it is already tightening enforcement and rejects the proposals.
- The proposals also include ending benefit payments to foreign nationals without legal status
Reform UK has set out a series of tough new immigration proposals, including plans for a dedicated deportation agency and the possibility of leaving certain human rights treaties, as the party looks to build momentum ahead of the next general election due by August 2029.
The party, led by Nigel Farage, is stepping up policy announcements as it tries to position itself as a governing alternative at a time when immigration remains one of the UK’s most debated political issues. With opinion polls showing rising support, the party appears keen to outline a clearer policy platform.
Zia Yusuf, Reform’s policy chief on home affairs, described immigration levels as a “national security emergency” and said the party would introduce an “Illegal Migration Mass Deportation Act” aimed at compelling the government to remove people without legal status while limiting judicial intervention, reportedly said.
He also outlined plans for a new Deportation Command, modelled in part on enforcement agencies in the US, which he said could remove up to 288,000 people a year. Yusuf told reporters at Dover that the party would aim to “end and indeed reverse this invasion,” reportedly said, referring to illegal migration.
The proposals also include ending benefit payments to foreign nationals without legal status and introducing visa restrictions on countries that refuse to accept the return of their nationals.
Political divide widens
The governing Labour Party said it is already taking action, pointing to nearly 60,000 people removed since it won the 2024 election. Labour chair Anna Turley reportedly said the opposition’s approach would divide the country rather than deliver solutions.
Despite holding only eight seats in the 650-member House of Commons, Reform appears increasingly confident it can challenge both Labour and the Conservatives, particularly as migration continues to rank among voters’ top concerns.
Government data shows more than 41,000 asylum seekers arrived in small boats in 2025, the second highest figure on record, even as overall net migration fell.
The debate also comes amid wider scrutiny of enforcement approaches internationally, including criticism of immigration agencies in the US, though Yusuf reportedly said he did not expect similar controversies if the UK adopted a comparable model.
Taken together, the proposals suggest immigration is likely to remain a central battleground in UK politics as parties set out sharply different approaches ahead of the next election cycle.
