UK's Farage outlines a strategy for the 'mass deportation' of asylum seekers

LONDON, Aug 24 — Nigel Farage, a former Brexit campaigner, outlined his proposals yesterday for the "mass deportation" of migrants who have traversed the English Channel in small boats, should his Reform UK party assume control of the British government.

In an interview featured in yesterday's edition of The Times, Farage stated his intention to remove Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights and to establish agreements with Afghanistan, Eritrea, and other primary countries of origin to facilitate the repatriation of illegal migrants.

"We have the capacity to show kindness to individuals, we can extend our goodwill to other nations, or we can adopt a stringent stance towards foreign countries... I mean, (US President Donald) Trump has demonstrated this concept quite thoroughly," Farage stated.

When questioned about his concerns regarding the potential for asylum seekers to face killing or torture if returned to nations with inadequate human rights standards, Farage expressed that his primary concern was the perceived threat that asylum seekers posed to the British populace.

"I cannot take responsibility for tyrannical governments globally. However, I can ensure the safety of women and girls in our communities," he stated.

In recent weeks, Britain has experienced frequent small-scale demonstrations outside hotels accommodating asylum seekers, partly driven by worries regarding public safety following the charging of some migrants with sexual assault.

Wider opinion surveys indicate that immigration and asylum rank as the foremost concern among the public, closely followed by economic issues. Additionally, Reform UK, which secured five seats in the previous year's general election, has recently led in voting intention polls.

In the previous year, 37,000 individuals, primarily hailing from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Vietnam, and Eritrea, made their way to Britain from France by traversing the English Channel in small boats. This figure represented a 25% increase from 2023 and constituted 9% of the overall net migration.

Approximately two-thirds of individuals who arrive by small boats and seek asylum are granted it, with only 3% facing deportation, as per data examined by the University of Oxford.

Farage informed The Times that he intends to abolish the right to seek asylum or contest deportation for individuals who arrive via small boats. He plans to achieve this by amending current human rights laws and withdrawing Britain from refugee agreements, citing a national emergency.

"The objective of this legislation is to facilitate mass deportations," Farage stated, further noting that a "significant crisis" instigated by asylum seekers was intensifying public outrage.

According to The Times, Farage proposed the establishment of holding facilities for 24,000 migrants at air bases, with an estimated expenditure of £2.5 billion (RM14.2 billion). He also suggested the operation of five deportation flights daily, aiming for total deportations in the hundreds of thousands.

If that option did not succeed, asylum seekers might be detained on Ascension Island, a British territory located in the South Atlantic, to convey a symbolic message, according to Farage. — Reuters