Portrait of Nigel Farage
Politician · policy
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Nigel Farage on Immigration

Hardline Immigration Control (strong)

TL;DR

Nigel Farage advocates for an end to Indefinite Leave to Remain and mass deportation to drastically cut migrant numbers.

Key Points

  • His party would require all migrants to reapply for status under tougher rules, including higher salary requirements.

  • The proposals include denying public funds access to all non-UK nationals, reserving support only for British nationals.

  • He stated that existing ILR holders would be required to reapply under the new system, potentially losing their status.

Summary

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, champions a hardline stance on immigration, proposing a radical overhaul of the UK's system. His core policy objective is to abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which he claims would save the taxpayer significant funds. He suggests replacing ILR with a five-year renewable visa system and implementing mass deportation laws, with anyone deported facing a permanent re-entry ban. Furthermore, the plan includes extending timeframes to achieve British citizenship and introducing higher salary and English language thresholds for family visas.

The proposed changes face considerable scrutiny over their legal and practical feasibility. For instance, the plan suggests leaving the Refugee Convention and repealing the Human Rights Act to implement stricter measures. Critiques from legal experts highlight that retrospectively revoking ILR for hundreds of thousands of individuals could violate human rights protections, such as the right to family life. The party's touted savings figure of over £230bn has also been disputed by the think tank that initially produced the data, which subsequently stated the figure should no longer be used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nigel Farage's central immigration policy involves abolishing Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for new entrants and requiring existing holders to reapply under stricter conditions. He plans to replace the current settlement status with a five-year renewable visa system to tighten control over long-term residency.

While past reports suggested a vow to deport all small-boat arrivals, his current platform focuses on enacting mass deportation laws for those in the UK unlawfully. His proposals also target hundreds of thousands with existing settled status to reapply or leave.

He has stated a policy intent for the UK to leave the Refugee Convention entirely. Under his proposals, anyone entering the UK unlawfully would be barred from claiming asylum or submitting any applications for permission to remain.