Farage accuses Starmer of betraying Britain for ‘outdated treaties’
Nigel Farage launched a fierce critique of Sir Keir Starmer, accusing him of aligning with international courts against the British populace as he revealed his dramatic plans for mass deportations of illegal migrants.
Writing for The Telegraph, the leader of Reform UK vowed to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repeal the Human Rights Act, and disregard three other international treaties he claimed were "obstacles" to deporting anyone who entered the UK unlawfully.
Mr. Farage—who will detail his plans in a speech on Tuesday—argued that such actions were "justified" under the Vienna Convention, a fundamental aspect of international law, because Britain was facing "a national emergency where uncontrolled illegal migration was disrupting public order." The news follows commentary from former Labour Home Secretary Lord Blunkett, who has also spoken out in favor of leaving the ECHR.
In his article, Farage said: "These harmful influences will no longer be permitted to obstruct deportations. The planes will depart, and many of them at that.
Capacity for 24,000 people
"It is time to prioritize this country. This is all about priorities. Is Keir Starmer on the side of the British people, national security, and protecting women and girls, or is he on the side of outdated international treaties and human rights lawyers?"
A Reform government would aim to construct detention centers on military sites to accommodate 24,000 people within 18 months, with individuals held there prohibited from leaving or seeking bail, said Mr. Farage.
Labour described the plans as "Farage’s fantasy Air Force bases," referring to his proposal to use Ministry of Defence sites to detain migrants before deportation. The party has posed 24 questions challenging the proposals, "one for every 1,000 people the plan proposes to detain, without informing anyone where."
Sir Keir has pledged that a Labour Government led by him will never withdraw from the ECHR and would show "profound respect" for international law.
However, next month Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is expected to introduce new laws limiting asylum seekers’ ability to use ECHR articles three and eight, concerning family life rights and protections from persecution, to avoid deportation.
Pressure from Labour right
The Prime Minister is under public pressure from senior figures on the Labour Right, including Lord Blunkett, the former home secretary, and veteran MP Graham Stringer, to temporarily suspend the ECHR to allow ministers to process the backlog of over 50,000 asylum seekers’ appeals against removal.
Labour sources indicated there were no immediate plans to suspend the ECHR, although they noted that all options were being considered "to create a functioning system."
Jo White, leader of the Red Wall caucus of Labour MPs, stated that reforming the asylum system was the "number one priority" for the Government, adding: "If we don’t resolve it, Labour is at risk in the next election."
Nearly 28,300 migrants have crossed the Channel this year—up 43 percent from the same period last year and the highest figure to date since the initial small boat arrivals in 2018. Last week, Home Office figures revealed a record 111,084 asylum applications in the past year, with over 32,000 migrants still housed in hotels.
Operation Restoring Justice
In his article, Mr. Farage said a Reform government would launch Operation Restoring Justice to eliminate the ECHR and other conventions through an Illegal Migration (Mass Deportations) Bill.
"This would create a legal obligation for the home secretary to remove illegal migrants. "Failure to do so will mean breaking the law," he added.
"Under these new plans, if you enter the UK illegally, you will be ineligible for asylum. No ifs, no buts. This removes the jurisdiction of the Home Office, immigration tribunals, and higher courts to review claims.
"A claim that cannot be considered cannot delay removal, and therefore cannot delay a flight."
National security emergency
The party leader has stated that a Reform government would seek to negotiate return agreements with countries like Afghanistan and Eritrea, despite allegations of human rights violations, and look to third countries such as Rwanda and Albania, as well as British overseas territories, to house asylum seekers.
He claimed that the number of people with no legal right to remain in the UK was now "almost certainly" over a million.
"This is indisputably the single biggest issue in our politics today. The British people have had enough, yet not a single politician has managed to address this national security emergency," he said.
Labour challenged Mr. Farage to answer its questions about his "fantasy" plans, including where new detention facilities would be built, whether tens of thousands of women and children in the asylum system would be deported, and what he would offer Iran, Afghanistan, and Eritrea to accept returned asylum seekers.
Tory rehash?
A Government spokesman said: "This is a tired rehash of the Tories’ approach, which left us with record high asylum costs and declining removals. As usual, Farage is offering empty soundbites without the plans to support them.
"Under the Labour Government, over 35,000 people have been removed in the last year, including a 24 percent increase in enforced returns and a 14 percent increase in removals of foreign national offenders."
"People arriving in small boats are being detained to be returned to France as part of our landmark UK-France migration partnership. This is not a problem that can be solved with empty rhetoric—it requires hard work and serious policy answers. That is what the Prime Minister and Home Secretary are delivering."
Mr. Stringer, an MP since 1997 and a former Manchester city council leader, said Labour needed to go further, adding: "We either need to withdraw [from the ECHR] completely or for a time. Withdrawing from it is not violating international law. It’s stating that it is no longer fit for purpose."
Technology & Business Editor
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
