Nigel Farage has revealed Reform UK’s controversial blueprint for mass deportations, pledging to remove “hundreds of thousands” of illegal migrants through five daily charter flights whilst scrapping human rights protections.
The Reform UK leader unveiled his multi-stage scheme, dubbed “Operation Restoring Justice,” which would see RAF Voyager jets departing Britain every day carrying deported migrants. The plan marks a dramatic U-turn from his September comments to GB News when he called mass deportations a “political impossibility.”
Under the proposed Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill, all asylum claims from small boat arrivals would be automatically rejected, with migrants detained in disused military bases rather than hotels whilst awaiting deportation.
Detention Centres and Third Countries
The ambitious programme would require building detention centres capable of holding 24,000 people within 18 months at an estimated construction cost of £2.5 billion. Detainees would be barred from leaving or claiming bail whilst their cases are processed.
The aim of this legislation is mass deportations,” Mr Farage told The Times. “We have a massive crisis in Britain. It is not only posing a national security threat but it’s leading to public anger that frankly is not very far away from disorder.”
Reform would seek returns agreements with countries including Afghanistan and Eritrea, which top the nationality tables for Channel crossings. The party would also revive “third country” deals similar to the Conservatives’ Rwanda scheme or explore agreements with Albania.
As a “fallback” option, asylum seekers could be sent to Ascension Island, a remote British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic, if their home countries were deemed too dangerous for direct returns.
ECHR Withdrawal and New Powers
Central to the plan is Britain’s withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which Reform would replace with a British Bill of Rights. The party would also derogate from the UN Convention Against Torture and other international agreements.
The future Home Secretary would have a statutory duty to remove illegal migrants from Britain, with new criminal offences introduced for those who attempt to return after deportation or who destroy identity documents during Channel crossings.
“I’m really sorry, but we can’t be responsible for everything that happens in the whole of the world,” Mr Farage stated when questioned about returning migrants to dangerous countries. “Whose side are you on?”
Digital ‘Self-Deportation’ App
In an unusual twist, Reform proposes a digital “self-deportation” app offering migrants £2,500 and a plane ticket if they choose to leave voluntarily. This forms part of what the party claims would be a more cost-effective approach to tackling the migration crisis.
The entire scheme carries an estimated price tag of £10 billion over five years, though Reform argues it would ultimately save taxpayers money compared to the current £7 billion annual spend on asylum hotels and processing.
Political Pressure and Timing
The announcement comes as pressure mounts over the small boats crisis, with nearly 28,000 people arriving via the Channel so far in 2025 – a record for this point in the year since data collection began in 2018.
Reform MP Rupert Lowe claimed the “online right” had forced Mr Farage’s hand on the issue. The online right has forced Reform and the Tories to move on mass deportations,” he said. “Next? The important one. The only one that actually matters for four years. The Labour Government.”
Conservative Response
The Conservatives, under whom the small boats crisis began, dismissed Reform’s proposals as recycled ideas. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “This big reveal is just recycling many ideas the Conservatives have already announced.”
“Nigel Farage previously claimed mass deportations were impossible, and now he says it’s his policy. Who knows what he’ll say next,” Philp added.
Record Asylum Claims
The deportation plan emerges as Home Office data reveals 111,000 people claimed asylum in the year ending June 2025, up 14 per cent on last year and higher than the previous peak of 103,000 in 2002.
Just under half of all those applying for protection were granted it at the initial decision stage, whilst approximately 32,000 asylum seekers currently reside in taxpayer-funded hotels.
Reform UK’s announcement represents the most hardline immigration policy yet proposed by a major British political party, as the debate over border control continues to dominate the political landscape ahead of the next General Election.
The party will formally unveil full details of the plan on Tuesday, with former chairman Zia Yusuf promising a “big announcement on mass deportations of illegal migrants.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Nigel Farage at Reform UK rally in Trago Mills, Devon (June 24, 2024) – by Owain.davies, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
