Political commentator Douglas Murray has criticised Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for not taking a stronger stance on deportations of illegal immigrants.
Speaking on GB News, Murray questioned whether Farage had "gone soft" on immigration despite the Reform leader's recent announcement of a deportation strategy.
Murray argued that "very large numbers of people" should be deported from Britain, describing this position as mainstream rather than extreme.
He suggested Farage was reluctant to fully embrace deportation policies despite their importance.
Nigel Farage has been under pressure to confirm Reform UK's deportation policy
GB NEWS / PA
Murray claimed there are "at least one million people here in Britain illegally", questioning the static nature of this figure over the past 15 years.
"I can't help thinking seeing boats come in day after day to the south coast of England among other places, it would be weird if the figure is so static," he said.
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"If people have broken into your country they should not remain. They have broken the law," Murray stated.
He added: "If people hate this country, they should leave."
Murray pointed to similar deportation policies in other European countries as precedent.
Douglas Murray joined Steve Edginton on GB News
GB NEWS
"This is not by any means fringe opinion. Salvini, Giorgia Meloni in Italy have talked about deportations," he said.
He specifically questioned why Britain couldn't deport certain convicted criminals.
"Why can't we deport the Muslim rape gang members who have been convicted?" Murray asked.
His comments suggest he believes Italy's approach under leaders like Salvini and Meloni demonstrates that large-scale deportations are feasible and have political support elsewhere in Europe.
Farage recently unveiled what he described as a "zero tolerance" deportation plan amid warnings of potential increases in Channel crossings this summer.
Writing for MailOnline, Farage promised to be "deporter-in-chief" like former US President Barack Obama, who oversaw the removal of more than three million "non-citizens" during his presidency.
The Reform UK leader stated his party had drafted a "comprehensive strategy" for deporting illegal migrants."
As prime minister, I will ensure our country operates a zero-tolerance policy for illegal residence," Farage wrote.
Despite Farage's deportation plan, Murray believes the Reform leader needs to go further.
"I think Nigel Farage doesn't want to go there - I wrote about his disagreement with Rupert Lowe," Murray said on GB News.
He urged Farage to reconsider his position on the issue."
He should shift his view. It's extremely important for the country and secondly, the American president and others are showing it can be done," Murray insisted.
His comments suggest a growing debate within Reform UK about how forcefully to pursue deportation policies.
