Reform pledges to review all asylum claims since 2021 if it wins power

Reform UK has pledged to review all asylum claims made since 2021 if it wins the next general election, potentially targeting around 400,000 individuals for deportation. The party’s plan includes deporting anyone granted asylum, overstaying a visa, or coming from countries deemed safe by a Reform-led government. Reform also proposes barring anyone arriving via small boats and leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to facilitate removals, alongside abolishing the right to permanent settlement after five years. The announcement comes amid ongoing immigration debates in the UK, where the current Labour government has implemented measures to crack down on illegal immigration, including disrupting trafficking networks, clearing asylum hotels, and extending the time before indefinite leave to remain is granted. Labour officials defended their record, citing the removal or deportation of nearly 60,000 people and efforts to reduce Channel crossings. They attributed previous immigration challenges to Conservative administrations and emphasized their commitment to border control. Conservative critics accused Reform of adopting their policies without sufficient detail, with shadow home secretary Chris Philp highlighting the Tory plan to exit the ECHR and ban asylum claims outright, aiming to deport unauthorized arrivals within a week. The Conservatives project deporting 150,000 immigrants annually under their proposals. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats dismissed Reform’s plans as impractical and counterproductive, arguing that reviewing five years of asylum grants would exacerbate the existing backlog and fail to address systemic issues in the asylum system. Reform’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf framed the party’s approach as a necessary response to what he described as years of government failure to uphold immigration laws. The party’s hardline stance reflects broader tensions in UK politics over immigration policy, balancing border security concerns with humanitarian and legal obligations. The proposals are likely to fuel further debate ahead of the next general election, highlighting stark differences among the major parties on how to manage asylum and immigration.