Reform would review all asylum claims from the last five years

Reform UK has announced a commitment to immediately review every asylum application filed in the last five years if the party gains power following the next general election. This proposal would affect approximately 400,000 individuals, potentially leading to their deportation. The target group includes anyone who has been granted asylum, overstayed a visa, or originated from a country labelled as safe by a Reform-led administration.

This policy is part of a broader effort by Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, which also includes barring entry to those arriving by small boats—a measure estimated to result in up to 600,000 deportations over five years. Moreover, the party intends to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights to simplify deportation procedures. It also plans to remove the right to permanent residency after five years in the country.

Reform’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf emphasized the party’s intention to “restore justice” in the UK, criticizing previous governments for what he termed an “invasion” due to lax immigration enforcement. “Instead of upholding the law, they have rewarded those who broke it by entering Britain illegally. Reform will reverse this,” Yusuf stated.

Meanwhile, Labour defended its current approach by attributing immigration issues to earlier Conservative administrations and highlighting the government’s efforts to reduce immigration. A Labour spokesperson pointed to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s actions that have reportedly curtailed small boat crossings and restored border control. They noted successes including stopping over 42,000 illegal Channel crossings and deporting nearly 60,000 individuals without a legal right to remain. Conservative critics, such as shadow home secretary Chris Philp, accused Reform of imitating Conservative policies but lacking necessary details, insisting that the Conservatives’ plans to exit the European Convention on Human Rights and ban asylum claims from illegal immigrants were more thorough and practical. The Liberal Democrats dismissed Reform’s proposals as “hostile” and ineffective, arguing that reviewing five years of asylum grants would only exacerbate the backlog and called instead for temporary processing centres to accelerate case resolutions. Comments from the Green Party were not available

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