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Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-migration Reform UK party, unveiled a plan on Tuesday to scrap human rights protections in order to enable large-scale deportations of asylum seekers, describing the situation as an “invasion” that endangered national security.
Farage said his party — currently topping national opinion polls despite holding just four parliamentary seats — would pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights, repeal the Human Rights Act, and disregard other international agreements that have prevented forced removals.
“The public mood on this is torn between despair and growing anger,” Farage told reporters. “These young men are breaking into our country illegally — it is an invasion.”
The announcement follows weeks of small but persistent protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, sparked by safety concerns after a number of individuals were charged with sexual assault.
Recent polling shows immigration has overtaken the economy as voters’ number-one concern, intensifying pressure on Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer to act. In 2024, Britain registered a record 108,100 asylum claims — nearly 20% higher than the year before — with the largest groups coming from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Bangladesh. Channel crossings have also hit record levels this year.
Successive governments have struggled to manage irregular migration. Reform UK’s proposals are the most extreme yet, including striking agreements with countries such as Afghanistan and Eritrea to take back citizens who entered the UK illegally.
Farage warned that without decisive action, public anger would escalate into “a real risk to public order.”
Starmer’s government, meanwhile, has pledged to crack down on smuggling gangs by streamlining asylum appeals and expanding enforcement. The previous Conservative administration’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was ultimately struck down by Britain’s highest court as unlawful.
