Reform UK Announces Radical Immigration Overhaul and ECHR Withdrawal
Reform UK's newly appointed home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, has launched a blistering attack on the European Convention on Human Rights, declaring that the treaty places the rights of British citizens 'beneath those of criminals'. In his first major speech since taking the role, delivered in Dover on Monday, Yusuf outlined sweeping immigration reforms that would see Britain withdraw from the ECHR and deport hundreds of thousands of migrants annually.
ECHR Withdrawal and Deportation Targets
Yusuf stated unequivocally that Reform UK would initiate Britain's withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights to prevent what he described as the 'prioritisation' of foreign criminals' rights over those of British citizens. He cited the controversial case of an Iraqi asylum seeker who killed a British girl but was permitted to remain in the UK by British judges as justification for this dramatic policy shift.
'How many more people must die at the hands of those who should never have been in our country in the first place?' Yusuf demanded during his address. 'How many more victims' families must be devastated in this way when their rights are placed beneath those of criminals?'
The party has set ambitious deportation targets, pledging to remove 288,000 illegal migrants every year, with Yusuf claiming this figure would exceed 600,000 during Reform UK's first term in government. This would be achieved through an aggressive schedule of five deportation flights operating daily from British airports.
New Immigration Enforcement Unit and Policy Measures
Central to Reform UK's immigration strategy is the creation of a 'UK Deportation Command' – a British equivalent of America's controversial Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit established under former President Donald Trump. Yusuf stated this new enforcement body would be tasked with 'tracking down, detaining and deporting' individuals residing illegally in the country.
Despite acknowledging the controversies surrounding ICE operations in the United States, including mass detentions, protests, and fatalities during immigration crackdowns in Minnesota, Yusuf insisted a British version would not encounter similar difficulties. 'It is not true that the UK version would face the same issues as the American one,' he asserted confidently.
The party's comprehensive immigration package includes several additional measures:
- Implementation of 'visa freezes' against Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Syria if these nations refuse to accept migrants deported from Britain
- Automatic home searches for anyone referred to the Prevent anti-terrorism strategy
- Expansion of stop and search powers for police officers
- Stripping foreign nationals of access to benefits and social services
- Legal compulsion for the Home Secretary to deport all illegal migrants
Cultural Protection and Face Covering Ban
In a move that surprised some observers given his personal faith, Yusuf – a practising Muslim – declared his support for a ban on 'all face coverings in public'. This position aligns with renewed calls from Reform UK's education and equalities spokeswoman, former Conservative minister Suella Braverman, who has advocated for a burqa prohibition.
'I personally support a ban on all face coverings in public,' Yusuf stated during the press conference. 'That's actually a piece of legislation that has multiple bonuses to it because it's going to aid integration, it's also going to help people feel safe.' This represents a notable shift from last year when Yusuf briefly resigned from the party after describing a question to the Prime Minister about banning burqas as 'dumb'.
The party also announced plans to grant listed status to all churches to prevent their conversion into mosques, a measure Yusuf described as essential to 'protect the UK's Christian heritage'.
New 'Polanski Law' and Political Reactions
Reform UK unveiled a proposed new statute named the 'Polanski Law' after Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who has visited migrant camps in Calais and urged the British government to allocate £500 million to assist migrants there. The legislation would criminalise encouraging or assisting anyone to enter the UK illegally, with offenders facing up to two years imprisonment regardless of their intentions.
Political opponents were quick to criticise Reform UK's proposals. Shadow home secretary Chris Phlip dismissed Yusuf's announcements as having 'nothing new to offer beyond copying and pasting Conservative plans'. Labour Party chair Anna Turley offered a broader condemnation, stating: 'Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse nation, which stands in opposition to the kind of divisive politics stoked by Reform.'
Undeterred by such criticism, Yusuf defended his characterisation of illegal immigration as an 'invasion', acknowledging that many in the political establishment 'gasp at that word' and 'clutch their pearls in the television studios'. He maintained that the dictionary definition of invasion – 'an incursion by a large number of people in an unwanted way' – accurately described Britain's current immigration situation.
