Reform UK to suspend asylum system for 5 years if elected

Reform UK has announced it would suspend the UK's asylum system for a full parliamentary term—typically five years—if elected, voiding all current applications and rejecting new ones ^[1]. The party said no grants of refugee status or humanitarian protection would be made, legal routes would end, and asylum tribunals would be scrapped. Over 90,000 people with pending appeals would be marked for deportation, with the party claiming it would ensure a 'functioning border'.

The plan includes pulling the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repealing the Human Rights Act 1998, and disapplying the 1951 Refugee Convention to block legal challenges ^[1]. Reform also proposed banning British visas for countries like Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan, and Sudan if they refuse deportation flights, with tariffs on goods from non-compliant nations.

Party leader Nigel Farage called the situation a 'national security emergency', citing unknown numbers of illegal immigrants and the threat they pose ^[1]. He claimed the US deported millions under Obama, setting a precedent. Home Office staff would be reprioritised to review past refugee grants, with around 400,000 people potentially liable for deportation under previous pledges.

Between January and October 2026, 20,478 people crossed the English Channel by small boat—40% fewer than the same period in 2025 ^[1]. These arrivals, which make up 40% of asylum applications, have averaged 68 people per boat since 2025, more than double 2021 levels. At least 84 died in 2024, according to the UN.

Labour dismissed the plans as 'desperation and weakness', with chair Bridget Phillipson accusing Farage of chasing extreme policies amid internal party challenges ^[1]. Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the proposals largely mirror Conservative policy, including exiting the ECHR and removing illegal immigrants within a week ^[2].

Reform also plans to create a new agency with 24,000–28,000 detention spaces and ban foreign airlines from UK airspace ^[2]. The party opposes Labour’s recent resettlement scheme, which includes Palestinians and Afghan women and girls, calling it 'unmandated'. The story was first reported by BBC News and Daily Mail.