Nigel Farage announced on Tuesday that a Reform UK government would deport asylum seekers en masse, marking a sharp escalation in his anti-immigration stance. During a press conference, he described irregular migration as an “invasion” and a “scourge”, warning that the country was “not far away from major civil disorder”.
The Reform leader’s speech is seen as a political gamble, as he leans into far-right rhetoric after previously being more cautious. His former head of communications, Gawain Towler, argued Farage should be seen as a statesman, but others noted his dismissive response to questions about the plan’s cost—estimated at £10bn by Reform, versus £47.5bn by the Centre for Migration Control.
Polling expert Joe Twyman said Farage’s hardline message taps into a “relatively small minority” of about one in six voters who hold strong views on migration. Sunder Katwala of British Future noted that most voters fall in between, wanting both control and compassion towards asylum seekers’ claims.
Labour and the Conservatives offered little criticism of Farage’s plan. Downing Street acknowledged public concern over illegal migration but focused on their own solutions, while shadow home secretary Chris Philp accused Farage of “reheating and recycling” Tory policies. Experts warned that Labour’s fence-sitting risks alienating both its compassionate and control-focused supporters.
