Farage to unveil Reform plan to deport Afghan and Palestinian resettlement arrivals

Right · 2Reform UK said it will deport anyone who arrived under Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's refugee resettlement scheme if it wins power, and Nigel Farage, the party leader, said he will "immediately end" the scheme. 1 2 Right · 2The Daily Express reported that Farage will announce the policy next Monday, while GB News said he is expected to do so this week; both outlets say the plans were previewed to the Telegraph and the Times. 1 2 Right · 2Mahmood reopened the UK Resettlement Scheme for new referrals on 28 September; Labour said around a quarter of referrals would be Afghan women and girls and Palestinian refugees, and that those accepted would get immediate indefinite leave to remain. 1 2

Right · 1Farage told the Telegraph: "Britain is not obligated to take in more migrants, and under a Reform government, these people will not be able to stay." 1 Right · 2Reform also plans tariffs on countries that refuse to take back illegal immigrants and foreign criminals, escalating February plans for visa bans on Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan and Somalia; Egypt has been cited as a possible target, according to the Times, and no tariff rates have been specified. 1 2 Right · 1GB News adds that Reform would bar airlines from non-cooperating countries from British airspace, with Pakistan International Airlines the main target, and stop citizens of such countries transiting through the UK. 2

Right · 2GB News also says refugees granted status in the past five years would lose it, with their dependants, if their home country is later judged safe; the Express similarly says residents' right to remain would be revoked if they are not considered in danger at home. 2 1 Right · 1The Express says Farage will also announce a review of Afghan resettlement schemes with costs published, and an audit of arrivals since 2010 by nationality and route. 1 Right · 1GB News notes the tariffs could face World Trade Organisation objections under the most-favoured-nation principle, with a narrow exception for emergencies in international relations that Britain invoked in 2022 against Russia and Belarus. 2

Right · 1The Express adds context: Channel crossings fell to about 33,000 in the year to June 2026 from a 2022 peak of around 46,000, and Reform has slipped to second in most polls, its lowest rating since December 2024, amid funding controversy and a Labour recovery under Andy Burnham. 1