Nigel Farage has pledged to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR), the main route for immigrants to gain British citizenship, threatening tens of thousands of legally resident people with deportation unless they meet strict new rules. The Reform UK leader said his plans would target the 'Boriswave' of legal immigrants who arrived under post-Brexit rules established by Boris Johnson, which he described as the 'greatest betrayal of democratic wishes'.
Unveiling his proposals, Farage claimed 800,000 people—'tending to be young and low-skilled'—are due to qualify for ILR over the next three to four years. He argued they would become a 'huge burden on the state', stating Britain is 'not the world's food bank' and should not provide welfare for people from around the world. Under current rules, ILR is available to those who have lived and worked legally in the UK for five continuous years, after which they can apply for citizenship.
Farage said a Reform government would rescind all existing ILR statuses, forcing non-citizens to reapply for visas with high salary thresholds—reportedly around £60,000—and no access to NHS services or benefits. The policy would not apply to EU citizens with settled status, but negotiations would open with the EU over welfare access. Farage refused to clarify whether it would affect Ukrainians or Hongkongers who moved under refugee schemes.
The proposals faced criticism from Downing Street, which accused Farage of wanting to 'foster division', and from London mayor Sadiq Khan. Farage claimed the policy would save £234bn, citing a Centre for Policy Studies report that has since been withdrawn due to a dispute over the figures. The think tank said its numbers 'should not be used', but Farage insisted the true savings were 'without a doubt' higher.
