ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-UK Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has unveiled what she called the “toughest reforms Britain has ever seen” in immigration policy, introducing an ambitious new border strategy aimed at detaining and deporting 150,000 illegal migrants each year.
In a video message posted on her X account on Sunday, Badenoch explained that the Radical Borders Plan would establish a new Removals Force, modelled after the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to revamp the UK’s border enforcement system.
“My message is clear: if you’re here illegally, you will be detained and deported,” she stated in the caption.
Positioning herself as a firm opponent of illegal immigration, Badenoch strongly criticised both Conservative and Labour administrations for their approach to the migration crisis.
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She accused Labour of allowing record numbers of illegal crossings and wasting taxpayers’ money on asylum housing.
“Today, I’m launching our Radical Borders Plan, the toughest reforms Britain has ever seen to border laws and operations.
“Successive governments have failed on immigration. Labour promised to smash the gangs.
“Instead, in just a year, they delivered record small boat crossings, over 50,000 illegal arrivals, 32,000 people in asylum hotels, billions wasted.
“It’s pure weakness. Britain needs a serious, credible plan and the backbone to deliver it,” Badenoch said.
The proposal outlines that asylum applications from illegal entrants will be prohibited, the Human Rights Act will be repealed, and the UK will withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.
Badenoch said all illegal arrivals would be deported within a week, legal obstacles to mass deportations would be eliminated, and visa sanctions would be enforced against countries that refuse to take back their citizens.
She added that the new enforcement agency would “shut down the asylum hotel racket,” save taxpayers billions, and rebuild public confidence in the UK’s borders.
“Only the Conservatives have a serious, credible plan to deliver stronger borders.
“If you come here illegally, you will be deported,” Badenoch concluded.
However, during an interview on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she faced backlash for brushing aside questions about the destinations for deported migrants.
“I’m tired of all of these irrelevant questions about where they should go.
“They will go back to where they should be or another country, but they should not be here,” she said.
When pressed further, she responded: “They will go back to where they came from.”
According to Sky News, the Removals Force will replace the Home Office Immigration Enforcement unit and will be granted broad new powers, including the use of facial recognition technology without prior notice, to identify and remove undocumented migrants.
If approved, Badenoch’s proposal would represent one of the most sweeping transformations of UK immigration policy in decades, escalating political debates over border security and human rights protections.