Reform UK Proposes Suspending Asylum System

Reform UK has announced a plan to suspend the United Kingdom's asylum system for an entire parliamentary term if the party enters government. Under this proposal, all new asylum applications would be rejected, and existing applications would be voided. Claimants would be designated for deportation, effectively halting the asylum process.

The party intends to dismantle the asylum tribunal system, which handles appeals. More than 90,000 outstanding asylum appeals would be dismissed, and claimants would face deportation. Reform UK stated that no grants of humanitarian protection or refugee status would be issued.

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, characterized the situation as a "national security emergency," asserting that the UK cannot accept more asylum seekers without knowing the full extent of illegal immigration and the associated risks. He indicated that Home Office staff currently processing asylum claims would be reassigned to review and potentially revoke previous refugee grants.

To enforce its plan, Reform UK aims to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and repeal the Human Rights Act 1998. The party also seeks to disapply the 1951 Refugee Convention to prevent legal challenges to its policies.

Reform UK stated it would use visa bans and tariffs on goods and services to pressure other countries into accepting deportees. Nations such as Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan, and Sudan could be subject to visa bans. Further sanctions, including barring airlines and citizens from transit, would be applied if these measures prove ineffective. In cases where deportation is not feasible to a home country or no nation agrees to accept a deportee, Reform UK would negotiate with third countries.

The party's proposals could make approximately 400,000 individuals liable for deportation. This would include anyone granted asylum, visa overstayers, or individuals from countries deemed safe by a Reform-led government. Previously, Reform UK pledged to review all asylum claims from the past five years should they win the next general election, and suggested that barring individuals arriving on small boats could lead to 600,000 deportations over five years.

Political reactions to Reform UK's proposals varied. Labour chairperson Bridget Phillipson criticized the plans as a "clear sign of desperation and weakness" and an "assault on our common values." Chris Philp, the Conservative shadow home secretary, suggested that the proposals largely mirrored his party's policies, asserting that only the Conservatives have a credible plan for border control. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson stated that Reform UK and the Conservatives were responsible for the current "failed asylum system."

Both the Labour and Conservative parties have also committed to reforming the asylum system. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced in March that any asylum seeker granted refugee status would receive only temporary protection, subject to review every 30 months. In September, a scheme to resettle refugees in the UK was reopened, aiming to deter small boat crossings by offering "safe and legal" routes. The Home Office expected this scheme to prioritize Afghan women and girls and Palestinians. Philp also noted that Conservative policy already includes measures such as banning asylum claims from illegal entrants, abolishing the immigration tribunal, ending resettlement routes, and leaving the ECHR. The Conservatives have previously stated their intention to remove 750,000 illegal immigrants within five years. The Liberal Democrats advocate for joining the EU migration and asylum pact to manage irregular migrants and share responsibility for asylum seekers.