The Reform UK party has announced plans to ban visas from Pakistan and other countries if they win power, alongside a proposed deportation strategy targeting hundreds of thousands of immigrants annually.
As the next general election in the UK approaches in 2029, the Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, is making significant announcements regarding immigration policy. During a press conference in Dover, Farage indicated that if his party comes to power, they would establish an agency similar to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to handle deportations. This agency, dubbed the 'UK Deportation Command', aims to deport up to 288,000 immigrants annually and target over 600,000 for deportation within its first tenure.
The party's Home Affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, highlighted the urgency of this initiative, referring to it as part of 'Operation Restoring Justice'. According to the proposals, deportees would initially be housed in modular accommodations, and the plan includes conducting up to five deportation flights daily. The estimated annual cost for this initiative is around two billion pounds, which the party claims could be offset by savings in housing and welfare for immigrants.
Crucially, the Reform UK party has pinpointed specific countries, including Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, and Sudan, from which they plan to impose visa bans. The ramifications of these proposals could significantly reshape immigration dynamics in the UK and reflect a hardline stance on immigration that resonates with certain voter bases ahead of the upcoming elections.
