The moral and economic costs of Farage's plan to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers

"The UK would be an outlier among European democracies, in the company of only Russia and Belarus, if it were to leave the European court of human rights (ECHR). Opting out of treaties like the 1951 UN refugee convention, the UN convention against torture and the Council of Europe anti-trafficking convention is also likely to do serious harm to the UK's international reputation."

"It could undermine current returns deals, including with France, and other cooperation agreements on people-smuggling with European nations such as Germany. The Society of Labour Lawyers said the plan would in all likelihood, preclude further cooperation and law enforcement in dealing with small boats coming from the continent and so increase, rather than reduce, the numbers reaching our shores. Farage said he would also legislate to remove the Hardial Singh safeguards in order to allow indefinite detention for immigration purposes."

"many of the rights protected by the ECHR and Human Rights Act are rooted in British case law, so judges would be able to prevent deportations even without international conventions. Reform's deportation plans rely on striking returns agreements with countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Eritrea and Sudan, offering financial incentives to secure these deals, alongside visa restrictions and potential sanctions on countries that refuse. These are countries in which the Home Office's own risk reports warn of widespread torture and pers"

Nigel Farage's blueprint seeks mass deportation of up to 600,000 asylum seekers through removal of human-rights protections, new detention infrastructure, and financial incentives to other regimes. The plan would risk the UK leaving the European Court of Human Rights and opting out of key international treaties, damaging international reputation and undermining existing return and anti-smuggling cooperation with European partners. Legal experts warn removal of safeguards to allow indefinite detention would face significant legal challenge, and many ECHR protections are rooted in domestic case law that could still block deportations. Proposed returns deals target high-risk countries where the Home Office warns of torture and persecution.

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