Reform UK Pledges Review of Asylum Claims
Reform UK has committed to an immediate review of all asylum claims made in the last five years if the party wins the next general election.
Under these plans, approximately 400,000 individuals could face deportation. The policy targets anyone granted asylum, those overstaying visas, or individuals from countries deemed safe by a government led by Reform.
The current Labour government has already introduced significant immigration crackdowns, including efforts to disrupt human trafficking gangs, clear asylum hotels, and extend the period before indefinite leave to remain is granted.
Conservatives have accused Reform of adopting their policies "but without the detail," while Liberal Democrats have described the plan as an "impractical farce."
Reform UK's Previous Immigration Proposals
Led by Nigel Farage, Reform UK has previously announced intentions to bar anyone arriving via small boats, suggesting this could result in as many as 600,000 deportations over five years.
The party also advocates for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to facilitate removals and proposes abolishing the right to permanent settlement in the UK after five years.
Reform's home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, stated the party would "do what it takes to restore justice" in the UK.
"For years, Tory and Labour governments have presided over an invasion of Britain," he claimed.
"Instead of upholding the law, they have rewarded those who broke it by entering Britain illegally. Reform will reverse this," he added.
Labour and Conservative Responses
A Labour Party spokesperson attributed the current immigration situation to previous Conservative governments and stated that Labour was "finally bringing down" immigration numbers.
They highlighted Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's "decisive action" to reduce small boat crossings and "restore control of our borders after the Tories' failed open borders experiment."
"We have already stopped over 42,000 illegal migrants attempting to cross the Channel since the general election,"they said.
"We have removed or deported nearly 60,000 people with no right to be here."
Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp accused Reform of poorly copying Conservative proposals.
"The Conservatives have already proposed a detailed borders plan to pull out of the ECHR and completely ban asylum claims by illegal immigrants,"he said.
"Instead, we would deport them within a week of arrival."
He added that the Conservatives plan to deport 150,000 immigrants annually who have no right to remain in the UK, stating:
"Reform is slowly catching up with our ideas - but without the detail that will ensure it works in practice."
Liberal Democrat Criticism and Alternative Proposals
Liberal Democrat immigration and asylum spokesman Will Forster criticized Reform's "hostile, headline-grabbing" plans, arguing they would "do absolutely nothing to tackle our broken asylum system."
"The backlog of cases is already sky high thanks to the mess the Conservatives left us in,"he said.
"Reviewing five years worth of asylum grants is an impractical farce that will just slow down the process even more."
The Liberal Democrats have called for the establishment of temporary processing centres to clear the asylum backlog within six months. This would allow those with a right to remain to proceed with their lives and support themselves, while those without such rights could be swiftly returned.
The Green Party has been contacted for comment.
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