Leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has announced what she describes as the “toughest border reforms in Britain’s history” — a sweeping immigration crackdown designed to detain and deport up to 150,000 illegal migrants annually.
In a video message posted on her official X account on Sunday, Badenoch said her “Radical Borders Plan” would overhaul the country’s border enforcement system through the creation of a powerful new agency — a Removals Force — modelled after the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“My message is clear: if you’re here illegally, you will be detained and deported,”
— Kemi Badenoch, UK Conservative Party Leader
A U.S.-Style “Removals Force”
Under the proposed policy, the new Removals Force will replace the Home Office Immigration Enforcement unit. It will receive £1.6 billion in funding and sweeping powers to track, detain, and remove undocumented migrants.
According to Sky News, the force will work closely with the police, who would be required to check the immigration status of individuals during arrests or routine stops. Officers would also be empowered to use facial recognition technology without prior notice to identify undocumented migrants.
Badenoch said the new agency would “shut down the asylum hotel racket,” save taxpayers billions of pounds, and “restore public trust in Britain’s borders.”
Tougher Asylum and Human Rights Restrictions
In what marks one of the most radical departures from Britain’s post-war immigration framework, Badenoch’s plan proposes:
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Banning asylum claims for anyone entering the UK illegally.
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Repealing the Human Rights Act and withdrawing Britain from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
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Abolishing immigration tribunals and ending legal aid for migrants.
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Eliminating appeal rights to accelerate deportations.
The Conservative leader said her government would deport all illegal arrivals within a week, with visa sanctions imposed on countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens.
“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, and billions wasted,” Badenoch said.
“It’s pure weakness. Britain needs a serious, credible plan — and the backbone to deliver it.”
The Political and Legal Stakes
If implemented, the 150,000 deportation target would represent a five-fold increase from current annual levels of around 34,000 deportations. Analysts say the plan would require an enormous expansion in detention facilities, transport logistics, and international repatriation agreements.
The Financial Times reports that Badenoch’s proposal marks a sharp escalation in the UK’s decades-long immigration debate — moving beyond the “stop the boats” rhetoric of previous Conservative administrations towards full-scale withdrawal from the ECHR framework.
Badenoch insists that leaving the ECHR is essential to reclaim sovereignty over border enforcement. However, human rights lawyers and civil society groups warn that such a move could isolate the UK diplomatically and erode fundamental legal protections.
According to The Guardian (UK), Labour politicians and advocacy groups have already branded the plan “dangerous and impractical,” arguing that it risks violating international law and damaging Britain’s global standing.
Critics Question Feasibility and Ethics
Appearing on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch drew criticism when she brushed off questions about where deported migrants would be sent.
“I’m tired of these irrelevant questions about where they should go,” she said.
“They will go back to where they came from.”
Legal experts say such comments highlight the logistical and ethical challenges of the plan — especially when origin countries refuse to cooperate. Without bilateral agreements, deportation orders could pile up, leading to indefinite detentions and diplomatic standoffs.
Echoes of Past Controversies
Observers note similarities between Badenoch’s proposals and the UK’s “hostile environment” immigration policy introduced under Theresa May, as well as the Illegal Migration Act of 2023, which sought to fast-track removals but faced judicial pushback.
Critics argue that these measures have historically done little to reduce illegal migration, instead pushing vulnerable migrants into poverty or underground economies.
A Divisive Turning Point in UK Politics
Badenoch’s proposal signals a hard pivot by the Conservative Party as it seeks to reclaim credibility on immigration ahead of the next general election.
Supporters within her party view the plan as a bold attempt to assert control over borders and respond to public frustration over small boat crossings. Detractors, however, describe it as “xenophobic populism dressed as policy”, warning that it risks inflaming racial tensions and undermining the UK’s reputation for rule of law.
Whether the Radical Borders Plan ever becomes law remains uncertain — but it has already succeeded in reigniting one of Britain’s most contentious political debates: how far a democratic nation can go in the name of border control.