Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, one of Britain’s most outspoken right-wing politicians and long-time critic of mass Muslim immigration, has unveiled a sweeping plan to tackle what he calls the “existential threat” of unchecked migration to the United Kingdom.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Farage declared that if his party comes to power, it will deport up to 600,000 migrants within five years, describing the plan as “the only way to stop the endless migrant boats crossing the Channel.”
“Operation Restore Justice”
The plan, dubbed Operation Restore Justice, includes building remote detention facilities, converting abandoned Royal Air Force bases, and signing return agreements with countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea. Migrants would face immediate detention upon arrival, with flights of deportees scheduled at a rate of five per day.
Farage also proposed allowing migrants to voluntarily leave with a £2,500 cash incentive. “We are under invasion,” he declared. “If we deport every single one who comes illegally, the boats will stop within days.”
According to Farage, Britain currently hosts over 650,000 undocumented adults who can be removed “quickly and efficiently.”
Legislative Shake-Up
At the heart of the proposal is a sweeping new law: the Illegal Immigration (Mass Deportation) Act, which would make it a legal obligation for the Home Secretary to expel all illegal migrants permanently, stripping them of any right to return.
The plan also calls for the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and replace the Human Rights Act with domestic legislation applying only to citizens and legal residents. International refugee conventions, such as the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, would also be effectively discarded.
Reform UK estimates the program would cost £10 billion over five years but insists it would save taxpayers money currently spent on hotels for asylum seekers. Some deportees may even be relocated to British Overseas Territories like Ascension Island as a fallback option.
Political Firestorm in Westminster
The announcement triggered immediate backlash across the political spectrum.
- Labour’s leader, Ellie Reeves, blasted the proposal as “irresponsible and unserious,” arguing that Farage offered “no timeline, no clarity on detention centers, and no answers on women and children.”
- The Conservatives accused Farage of rehashing ideas they had already put forward, with Shadow Cabinet Minister Chris Philp saying: “We’ve already tabled deportation bills that Reform is simply copying.”
- The Liberal Democrats’ deputy leader Daisy Cooper dismissed the plan as “insulting the public’s intelligence,” questioning how such mass detention and removals could even be implemented.
The Numbers Behind the Debate
Government figures show 28,288 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year — a 46% increase compared to the same period last year. At the same time, Britain received 111,000 asylum applications.
Farage insists only a “radical break” will stop the surge. Critics argue his proposals would breach international law, devastate Britain’s international reputation, and risk chaos in the courts.
