Nigel Farage, the veteran Brexit campaigner and now leader of Reform UK, has unveiled a sweeping new immigration policy that he says is the only way to confront what he calls a “massive crisis” facing Britain. At the center of his plan is the promise of “mass deportations” of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the English Channel, a move that Farage argues is necessary to protect Britain’s national security and restore public confidence in the government’s ability to control its borders.
In an interview with The Times, Farage was blunt: “The aim of this legislation is mass deportations,” he said, describing the situation as “not only posing a national security threat but it’s leading to public anger that frankly is not very far away from disorder.” He stressed that the scale of irregular migration was creating a sense of emergency among ordinary Britons who felt powerless over decisions that directly affect their towns and communities.
Who the Asylum Seekers Are
The numbers have surged to record levels. In the year ending June 2025, more than 111,000 people claimed asylum in Britain, the highest figure on record and an increase of 14 percent over the previous year. About 43,000 of these arrivals came on small boats from France, a method that accounted for nearly 40 percent of all claims. The majority originated from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Eritrea, and Sudan, with adult men making up nearly two-thirds of all applicants.
These crossings are organized by smuggling gangs who launch migrants from French beaches in flimsy inflatables. Many risk their lives on the water in the belief that Britain offers better opportunities. Farage has rejected the idea that humanitarian concerns outweigh Britain’s right to defend its own people. “I can’t be responsible for despotic regimes all over the world. But I can be responsible for the safety of women and girls on our streets,” he told The Times.
There are a variety of reasons asylum seekers choose Britain over other European countries. Researchers point to the use of English as a global language, family ties with existing diasporas, and the perception that Britain is a “good place to live.” Smugglers also promote the idea that once in the U.K., migrants will receive accommodation, cash support, free healthcare, and access to schools. France has claimed that Britain’s “informal economy” is a pull factor because asylum seekers believe they can “work without papers.”
While many EU countries have higher asylum numbers, Britain’s sharp increase in recent years has been striking. Since 2021, claims have nearly doubled. For Farage and his supporters, this trend confirms that Britain is being targeted as an easy destination, and the effect on local communities has been destabilizing.
What Farage Proposes
Farage’s plan calls for a radical overhaul of asylum policy. Migrants arriving on small boats would be arrested immediately upon arrival, detained in holding facilities on disused Royal Air Force bases, and deported within 30 days. Reform UK estimates that building detention centers for up to 24,000 migrants will cost around £10 billion over five years but argues that it will ultimately save money by eliminating the need for taxpayer-funded asylum hotels.
He also proposes operating five deportation flights a day, with the potential to deport “hundreds of thousands” within a few years. If agreements cannot be reached with countries of origin, Farage has suggested sending migrants to Ascension Island, a remote British territory in the South Atlantic. “If people know they will be detained and deported they will stop coming very quickly,” he said.
Central to his plan is removing Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights, which has repeatedly been used to block deportations. Farage says he will also replace the U.K.’s Human Rights Act and seek derogation from international treaties such as the U.N. Convention Against Torture and the Refugee Convention. “We can be nice to people, we can be nice to other countries, or we can be very tough to other countries. I mean [President Donald] Trump has proved this point quite comprehensively,” he argued.
Legal challenges are inevitable. The Conservative government’s Rwanda plan was struck down after years of litigation and ended with just four migrants ever being deported. Labour officials warn that Farage’s ideas are unworkable, with Angela Eagle calling them “another pie in the sky policy from a party that will say anything for a headline.” Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp of the Conservatives added that Reform UK was “recycling many ideas the Conservatives have already announced.”
International agreements also pose difficulties. Convincing regimes such as Afghanistan’s Taliban government or Eritrea’s dictatorship to accept mass returns will be a diplomatic and logistical hurdle. Critics also warn that abandoning the European Convention on Human Rights could destabilize the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, which relies on ECHR membership as a safeguard.
For many Britons, the numbers alone make the case for Farage’s plan. With more than £4.7 billion spent on asylum in the past year, and small towns hosting asylum hotels against local wishes, frustrations are boiling over. Protests have erupted outside hotels housing asylum seekers, fueled by reports of criminal activity, including sexual assaults. Supporters say this is about protecting British families. Farage himself stressed, “We have a massive crisis in Britain. It is not only posing a national security threat but it’s leading to public anger.”
Reform UK argues that strong action is the only way to deter future crossings. “There is only one way to stop people coming into Britain and that is to detain them and deport them,” Farage said. To his base, this is not cruelty but common sense
Opponents warn that such policies may be impossible to deliver and could harm Britain’s international reputation. Critics note that even under existing law, only 3 percent of small boat arrivals are deported, while about two-thirds are ultimately granted asylum. They argue that conflict and repression in migrants’ home countries mean that many cannot legally be returned.
Human rights advocates also say that deporting vulnerable people to unstable countries could expose them to torture or death, undermining the principles that Britain has long defended. For Labour, the focus should be on fixing the “broken asylum system” rather than tearing up international treaties.
Immigration now ranks as the number one issue for the public, eclipsing even the economy. Farage is betting that his uncompromising stance on deportations will propel Reform UK into power. For his supporters, this is a fight for sovereignty, safety, and the survival of British identity. For his critics, it is reckless and legally impossible.
What is clear is that the question of asylum seekers has become the defining issue of British politics. With tens of thousands continuing to arrive each year, the pressure on the system—and on the government—shows no sign of easing.
NP Editor: If Farage is not successful, the U.K. is in big trouble. This population will get larger and begin to have children and will become more and more difficult to expel. This will eventually change the character of the U.K. in ways we don’t want to imagine.
