Deporting migrants already granted asylum will save billions, Reform claims

Deporting hundreds of thousands of small boat migrants who have already claimed asylum will save the taxpayer billions of pounds, Nigel Farage has claimed.

Reform UK has vowed to review all successful asylum claims over the past five years, and deport anyone found to have entered illegally or overstayed their visa.

Mr Farage’s party estimated 400,000 people will be in scope of the review, and the majority will be deported.

At a press conference on Monday, Reform said the policy would save £14.3 billion in real terms over the next parliament (2029-34), and £137 billion in real terms net lifetime fiscal costs.

Hitting back at the party’s claim, the Refugee Council said reassessing hundreds of thousands of asylum decisions would be highly expensive.

Imran Hussain, the group’s director of external affairs, said: “This proposal is simply not a serious or workable plan. Reopening and reassessing hundreds of thousands of asylum decisions would overwhelm the system which is already struggling, tie up the courts for years, and cost taxpayers tens of billions.

“Punishing refugees for the way they entered this country also makes little sense when there are no safe and legal routes available for most people seeking asylum to get to the UK.

“Most Britons want an asylum system that works – one that is fair, efficient and controlled – not an expensive and chaotic attempt at mass deportations that would unfairly uproot families who have rebuilt their lives here over years.”

Reform’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, said previous governments have presided over “an invasion of Britain”.

“A Reform government will review the previous five years of asylum grants, and anyone who broke into the country illegally or overstayed on another visa will be stripped of their status and deported,” he said.

“We will do what it takes to restore justice in Britain.”

Reform has already pledged to identify and deport all illegal migrants in the UK, as well as leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which is often used by people to claim asylum.

The party has said it would aim to deport 188,000 illegal migrants a year by operating five removal flights a day.

Also during the press conference, Mr Farage was asked about reports that Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, failed to pay almost £100,000 in corporation tax.

Reports have suggested Mr Tice’s accounts were not audited, but Mr Farage insisted his tax affairs were run by “professional accountants”.

He added: “It’s very easy to throw accusations around about people’s tax.

“All I would say to you is that Richard Tice has had a long-distinguished career in business and if there’s an error, if his accountants have made an error, he will put it right. But I very, very much doubt that will be the case.”

Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said: “Nigel Farage can deflect all he likes but the fact is, his deputy has failed to pay tax. This is a serious scandal and Reform’s leadership are in complete denial.

“This isn’t going away. Richard Tice has demanded that others resign over smaller tax errors and now he believes the rules don’t apply to him. Tice must pay what he owes and face the consequences.”