Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced a radical policy to hold senior civil servants personally accountable for allowing foreign nationals with criminal backgrounds to enter the United Kingdom. The proposal includes the potential for prosecution and the forfeiture of their government pensions.
The Pledge to Protect British Citizens
Mr Farage made the vow following reports that Home Office officials have been fast-tracking asylum claims to reduce a significant backlog, sometimes without adequate background checks. Under his plans, any civil servant found responsible for allowing a foreign national into the country who subsequently commits rape or sexual assault against a British citizen could face severe consequences.
These individuals could be prosecuted and have their taxpayer-funded, gold-plated pensions stripped, with the proceeds donated to charities supporting victims of crime. Farage told The Mail on Sunday that a Reform administration would specifically target members of the Civil Service 'blob' who fail to identify dangerous asylum-seekers.
Rising Statistics and High-Profile Cases
The policy announcement comes against a backdrop of concerning official figures. Convictions of foreign nationals for sexual offences, including rape, have risen by 62 per cent in just four years. Currently, one in seven such crimes is committed by a non-British citizen.
This month has seen a series of high-profile cases that have ignited public debate:
- Two 17-year-old Afghan asylum seekers pleaded guilty to the brutal rape of a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa. A reporting restriction was placed on the case after a defence lawyer argued a video of the attack was too harrowing for public release.
- Sultani Bakatash, another Afghan national, was charged with raping two teenage girls in Bolton.
- Dawajan Ahmadzai, also from Afghanistan, was found guilty of two counts of sexually assaulting a child.
Reform UK sources highlighted that, according to their analysis, Afghan nationals are more than 20 times more likely to be convicted of a sexual offence than British citizens.
A 'Crazy Carousel' and Systemic Failure
The pressure on the asylum system was vividly described by an experienced case worker last month, who feared they would one day see someone they had granted asylum to commit a horrific crime. They blamed a systemic failure, describing a 'crazy carousel' where tens of thousands of applicants are assessed without proper identity documents.
'Most people I assess are lying,' the case worker said. 'Even if they eventually get a deportation order, it's mainly voluntary. Very few of them ever get sent home – the Home Office hasn't the resources or the willpower to do it. They just disappear.'
In one specific instance, a senior Home Office case worker was disciplined for refusing to approve an Afghan man's application after he had been arrested multiple times for indecent exposure in a children's play area.
Political Accountability and Legal Changes
Mr Farage was unequivocal in his condemnation, stating: 'Any civil servant who wilfully allows migrants to enter the UK when they know that they pose a risk will be held accountable for their actions. I will not allow the safety of our women and girls to be sacrificed on the altar of misguided liberalism.'
A source from Reform UK accused both Conservative and Labour governments of betraying the public by 'wilfully concealing sex offences'. The party's plan involves creating a new criminal offence of 'dishonestly determining an asylum claim', punishable by up to two years in prison, alongside the pension penalties.
In response, a government spokesman defended the work of civil servants, stating: 'We have removed nearly 50,000 people with no right to be on British soil and asylum-related returns are up 27 per cent compared to the previous year.' They added that reforms to human rights laws and the appeals system are underway to increase deportation capabilities.
The debate sets the stage for a fierce clash over immigration policy, civil service accountability, and public safety in the upcoming political campaign.
