FARAGE PLEDGES TO SUSPEND ASYLUM SYSTEM IF HE BECOMES PM

Nigel Farage has said Reform would suspend the UK's asylum system for five years and deport thousands of refugees if he becomes prime minister, according to one report. A separate report said Farage plans to unveil a proposal to ban the UK asylum system outright and deport all asylum claimants, without mentioning a five-year limit. The two accounts differ on whether the suspension would be temporary or permanent. Both agree the policy would be introduced by Reform, the party Farage represents, and would only take effect if he becomes prime minister.

Neither report explains how the suspension would be administered, or what would happen to asylum claims already lodged in the UK. It is not stated whether deportations would apply only to people awaiting a decision, or also to those already granted refugee status. Neither includes a response from the government or opposition parties. No date is given for when Farage intends to unveil the policy in full, and Reform has not issued further detail beyond the comments attributed to him.

The proposal, if confirmed, would mark a change to the UK's current asylum arrangements, whether delivered as a five-year suspension or an outright ban. It would also involve a significant number of deportations, described by one report as affecting "thousands" of people and by the other as covering "all" asylum claimants. Both reports agree the policy would only apply if Farage becomes prime minister, meaning it is not current government policy. The exact scope of the plan is expected to become clearer once Farage formally sets it out.