His party may only have four MPs, but
Nigel Faraj's Reform UK is leading the
polls and preparing for government.
Dozens of his counselors came to this
aircraft hanger in Oxford today as he
unveiled an aggressive plan to stop
illegal migration.
The only way
we will stop the boats
is by detaining and deporting absolutely
anyone that comes via that route. And if
we do that,
the boats will stop coming within days
because there will be no incentive to
pay a trafficker. A reform government
would seek to deport 600,000 people over
5 years. It would do this by leaving the
European Convention on Human Rights and
disapplying other treaties. Newly built
detention centers at former RAF bases
would house illegal migrants. For 6
months, the government would pay them to
leave the UK voluntarily before striking
returns agreements with countries like
Afghanistan and Iran to forcibly deport
people. How far back does this go? Where
do you draw the line? You say you're
going to deport everyone who's arrived
here illegally. What are the parameters
for that?
>> How far back you go with this is the
difficulty and I accept that. You know,
and the next question that that Z and I
will get asked is what about those that
are here illegally and have got
children. So, you know, I'm not standing
here telling you all of this is easy.
>> And would it be easy or humane to deport
those fleeing violence and persecution?
It is not our job, right, to be
responsible for how other governments,
other leadership regimes in different
parts of the country, how they operate.
>> You would if you sent someone back to a
country and they and they then were
tortured or they were, you would face
some responsibility for that.
>> Is that more important than protecting
British women and girls? No, we will
protect British women and girls. End of
story.
>> Reform's deportation plans would mean
ripping up existing human rights laws,
which some lawyers say would be a step
backwards.
>> I think it would be a bad day for
Britain. How would Britain be seen? You
know, we condemn countries and their
leaders as being despotic when they
refused to sign up to some of those
treaties. I think it would be a really
grim day.
>> Almost 30,000 people have arrived in the
UK by small boat this year. A record
high number the Labor government is
under pressure to bring down.
>> We have a plan. It is starting to
produce tangible results. We're
confident it will work. That will reduce
migration over the parliament. that will
end the use of hotels for asylum
accommodation. And we'll get on, as I
said, with the admittedly unglamorous
but practical steps that are required to
bear down on this problem.
>> Nigel,
>> Nigel Farage insists his deportation
plans are realistic and will be popular
enough to help him become prime
minister.
>> Okay. Well, let's go to Harry who's
still in Oxford this evening. Um, Harry
Nigel Farage warned of public disorder.
very eye-catching headline that what has
the government had to say about it?
>> Well, the prime minister's spokesperson
says he disagrees with that assessment.
Karma, we're told, is angry about the
use of hotels housing asylum seekers
like this one here in Oxford and the
government has pledged to end their use
by the end of this parliament. It is
true there have been protests outside
hotels like this over the summer. Nigel
Farage I think believes there is growing
public anger about this issue and that's
why he's announced this policy
intervention today.
>> So what are the um other parties
policies on immigration then Harry?
>> Well the Labour Party both in opposition
and now in government its long-standing
policy has been to smash the gangs. It
says it wants to try and uh prosecute
and disrupt smuggling gangs. Uh it's
also detained around 100 illegal
migrants uh that it plans to deport to
France uh within the coming weeks as
part of a new one in oneout deal. The
government's also look at looking at
tightening how the European Convention
on Human Rights is applied. The
Conservatives they say they'll deport
anyone who arrives illegally to Rwanda
and also deport any immigrant uh who
breaks the law on UK soil. and Kem Bedno
is expected to announce that her party
plans to withdraw from the ECR at her
party's conference next month. The Lib
Dems, they plan to establish safe routes
for refugees. They believe that will
make illegal crossings redundant and
they will allow asylum seekers to work
in the UK if a decision takes over 3
months. Uh the Greens, they also want to
establish safe routes and will only
deport foreigners who commit serious
crimes. Now, reforms policy is certainly
the most radical of the major parties in
the UK. In part, they want to try and
influence the debate and move the debate
in their direction.