Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s far-right Reform UK party, said Tuesday that if his party wins the next election, the U.K. will withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights and begin immediate detention and deportation of anyone entering the country illegally.
Farage outlined his immigration plans amid a sharp rise in small-boat arrivals across the English Channel and weeks of protests over the use of hotels to house asylum-seekers.
Although Reform holds only four of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, recent polls show the party matching or overtaking both Labour and the Conservatives by capitalizing on public anger over the migrant crisis.
“If you come to the U.K. illegally, you will be detained and deported and never, ever allowed to stay, period,” Farage said at a press conference.
He added: “The mood in the country around this issue is a mix between total despair and rising anger,” warning of “a genuine threat to public order” if the problem is not addressed.
Farage repeated his claim that the U.K. is being “invaded” by migrants, linking the pressure on health care and housing to asylum-seekers. He pledged to leave the European rights framework and repeal or “disapply” other treaties to block asylum claims and enforce deportations.
The party also promised to expand detention capacity and strike return deals with countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iran. Asked about the risk of migrants facing torture or death if sent back, Farage said: “The alternative is to do nothing ... We cannot be responsible for all the sins that take place around the world.”
More than 28,000 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, up nearly 50% from last year, while asylum applications exceeded 111,000 in the 12 months to June.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has already scrapped the Conservatives’ Rwanda deportation plan, instead relying on a deal with France to return some Channel crossers. Officials also plan to speed up asylum processing, but the government faces backlash over housing tens of thousands of asylum-seekers in hotels at public expense.
Protests erupted in recent weeks after a hotel resident was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl, which he denies. Demonstrations and counterprotests intensified after authorities obtained a temporary injunction to shut down the Bell Hotel in Epping, near London.