Badenoch Vows to Deport 750,000 Illegal Migrants in Five Years

The United Kingdom’s Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has unveiled a controversial immigration plan aimed at deporting 150,000 illegal migrants annually, setting a five-year target of 750,000.

Speaking on her official X account on Sunday, Badenoch described the policy as “the toughest reform Britain has ever seen on border control and operations.” She vowed to bar anyone entering the UK illegally from ever seeking asylum.

“Successive governments have failed on immigration. Labour promised to tackle gangs. Instead, they delivered record small boat crossings, over 50,000 illegal arrivals, and 32,000 people in asylum hotels, costing billions,” she said. “Britain needs a credible plan, and Conservatives have the backbone to deliver it.”

Under the new proposals, deportations would target irregular migrants already in the country, future arrivals, and foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes beyond minor traffic violations. Badenoch also announced plans to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to block asylum appeals.

The Home Office’s immigration enforcement unit will be rebranded as a “Removals Force,” with its budget set to double, funded by closing asylum hotels. Deportations would be carried out either to migrants’ home countries or safe third countries willing to accept them.

Badenoch’s plan also proposes narrowing asylum eligibility to those persecuted by their governments, excluding individuals fleeing war or discriminatory laws on religion or sexuality. The government intends to abolish immigration tribunals and shift appeals to Home Office officials, while ending taxpayer-funded legal aid for immigration cases.

The announcement comes as the Conservative Party faces weak poll numbers and increasing competition from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.