Reform UK's Proposal for Migrant Detention Centres
Reform UK has announced plans to establish migrant detention centres for individuals awaiting deportation in areas that predominantly vote for the Green Party. This proposal follows the party's earlier statement that, if elected, it would construct removal centres in remote parts of the country as part of a strategy to detain up to 24,000 people within 18 months.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson, explained that Green-controlled regions would be prioritised due to the party's stance on what he described as the Greens' support for "open borders."
"Given the Green Party advocate for open borders and for an infinite number of undocumented men to come here, we will prioritise Green constituencies and Green-controlled councils to locate these detention centres.
This is the fairest approach to ensuring democratic consent for all aspects of our mass deportation programme."
Green Party's Response
A Green Party spokesperson condemned the proposal, labelling it a "disgusting idea" and accusing Reform UK of "making abhorrent announcements in attempts to distract voters" from its other policies.
"We want a fair and managed immigration system," the spokesperson added.
"We recognise we have an ageing population and agree the current system is broken, but we are not into performative cruelty."
Reform UK has also stated it would avoid placing detention centres in areas where it has an MP or controls the council.
Political Reactions
Labour Party chair Anna Turley criticised the plan as a "grotesque policy," asserting that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage aimed to "drive a toxic wedge between our communities" and "doesn't care about fixing the system."
Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, dismissed the policy as unserious, stating:
"Reform is not a serious party and this is not a serious policy. It is clearly made up on the spot for a social media video."
The Liberal Democrats described the situation as "a squabble between two parties who don't have the solutions to bring about a safe, fair and controlled asylum system in our country."
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney called the proposal an "illustration of the dangerous nature of Reform's politics" and an "attempt to divide communities."
Additional Details on Reform UK's Plans
Reform UK also intends to introduce a Mass Deportation Detention Act, which would grant the home secretary powers to prevent councils from obstructing the opening of detention centres.
The party specified that individuals placed in these centres would be unable to leave and would remain there for approximately two weeks before deportation.
Official figures from the current prison programme indicate that constructing such "closed" facilities costs about £500,000 per bed, a standard generally applied to immigration removal centres as well. Consequently, building 24,000 new detention spaces at this standard would amount to an estimated £12 billion.
Green Party's Immigration Policy
In their 2024 general election manifesto, the Green Party called for "an end to immigration detention for all migrants unless they are a danger to public safety."
While the Green Party has previously expressed a desire to "see a world without borders," their leader Zack Polanski told last year that open borders were "not a pragmatic" solution in a world experiencing "turmoil."
