Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has unveiled his four-point plan to end the migrant crisis and made a major deportation promise.
Speaking in Dover, the point where thousands of Channel crossing migrants arrive on British shores, Farage reaffirmed Reform's support for withdrawing the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights and repealing the 1998 Human Rights Act.
"Frankly, the whole thing is pretty fruitless unless we leave the European Court of Human Rights and repeal the 1998 Human Rights Act," Farage said. "Every single week we see criminals, people who behave terribly, who ought to be deported, and they're not."
Farage also "recommitted" to having "no more population increase" due to net migration.
However, the Clacton MP opened the door to revisiting the issue over the number of Britons moving abroad in the wake of Rachel Reeves's decision to hike taxes.
In a major development, Farage promised to appoint a Deportations Minister if Reform wins the next General Election.
"We will demand this Government does the same," Farage added.
"It will be part of the Home Office but it'll be a separate department within it."
Migrants reach the UK after crossing the ChannelPAThe Reform UK leader pre-empted an exodus of civil servants and admitted he would need to ramp up Whitehall recruitment to get the right people in place to implement his deportation plan.
Discussing his deportation plan in more detail, Farage said: "We will bring a total end to all asylum claims from people who come here on travel visas or who are overseas students.
"We will demand the deportation of all foreign criminals. And for those who come to Britain and were granted citizenship, that'll be regarded as a legally binding contract."
The Reform UK leader also revealed more details will follow in three to four weeks' time.
Reform UK leader Nigel FarageGETTYDespite Farage's tough talk on deportations, Sir Keir Starmer revealed deportations topped 24,000 since Labour came to power.
Speaking at the Organised Crime Summit in London last month, the Prime Minister said: “It’s unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price from the cost of hotels to our public services, struggling under the strain, and it's unfair on the illegal migrants themselves, because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs.”
However, GB News recently revealed that the total number of migrants completing the 21-mile journey from Calais to Kent hit 9,000 this year.
The People's Channel also reported that a small boat migrant had died in the Channel on Good Friday, with the body being brought in to Dover harbour at around 7am.
