Reform UK’s Immigration & Policy Claims

Manifesto pledges on immigration

Critical reforms in the first 100 days

• Freeze non-essential immigration. The manifesto promises “strict limits on immigration” while allowing entry for essential skills, mainly in healthcare.
• Stop the boats with a four-point plan. Leave the European Convention on Human Rights, refuse to resettle illegal immigrants in the UK, create a new Department of Immigration, and return intercepted small boats to France.
• Secure detention for all illegal migrants. Asylum seekers arriving illegally from safe countries would be detained, processed offshore where necessary and barred from UK asylum or citizenship. No legal aid would be available for non-citizens and rejected cases would lead to deportation.
• Immediate deportation for foreign criminals. Deport those convicted of crimes immediately after serving prison terms and withdraw citizenship from serious offenders who were naturalised.
• Bar student dependants. New visa rules would prevent international students from bringing dependants. Only students with essential skills could remain. The manifesto pledges to close fake courses and tighten compliance checks.
• Stop health tourism and instant benefits. Require five years of residency and employment before eligibility for benefits or public funds.
• Employer Immigration Tax. Introduce a higher National Insurance rate of 20 percent for foreign workers. Exempt essential health and care staff and businesses with five employees or fewer. The party claims this would raise more than £20 billion over five years to fund apprenticeships and training.

Indicative figures from the manifesto: “Immigration pledges savings = £5–10 billion per year.” “Employer Immigration Tax = £4 billion per year.”