Farage proposes suspending asylum system for up to five years

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has proposed suspending the UK asylum system for up to five years if his party wins power, voiding pending applications and deporting the people affected. The pledge, announced at a press conference in Kent on October 12, would also reject new asylum claims during the suspension. Reform’s proposal targets about 90,000 pending cases or appeals, according to figures cited in reports of the announcement. Farage said people whose applications were voided would be subject to deportation to their home countries or a safe third country. The proposal does not establish that all those affected could legally or safely be removed. The party also says it would review asylum grants made since 2024. People from countries deemed safe by the home secretary could lose permission to remain. Reform proposes ending most legal resettlement routes, while accounts of its plan cite an exception for Ukrainians. Its policy document also refers to Hong Kong residents with British national overseas passports. Farage said countries that refused to accept deportees could face measures including visa restrictions, flight bans and tariffs.