In what she described as the “toughest border reform in Britain’s history,” UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced an aggressive new immigration policy aimed at deporting 150,000 illegal migrants every year.
The plan, dubbed the Radical Borders Plan, would overhaul Britain’s border control system and introduce a new enforcement agency called the Removals Force — a unit modeled after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to Badenoch, this body will be responsible for detaining, processing, and deporting undocumented migrants with greater efficiency and authority.
“If you’re in this country illegally, you will be detained and deported,” Badenoch declared in a video shared on her official X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday.
Badenoch, who has increasingly positioned herself as a hardliner on immigration, criticized both Labour and Conservative administrations for what she called years of “failure and weakness” in handling Britain’s migration crisis. She said successive governments had turned a blind eye to record levels of illegal border crossings and billions of pounds wasted on temporary asylum accommodations.
“Labour promised to break the smuggling gangs, but instead they oversaw record small boat crossings — over 50,000 in one year — and now more than 30,000 people are living in taxpayer-funded asylum hotels,” she said. “Britain deserves a serious plan and a government with the backbone to deliver it.”
Under the new proposal, asylum claims from illegal entrants would be automatically disqualified, the Human Rights Act would be repealed, and the UK would withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) — a move that could have major international and legal implications.
Badenoch also announced that all illegal arrivals would face mandatory deportation within seven days, with visa restrictions imposed on countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens.
The plan further includes shutting down what she described as the “asylum hotel racket,” which she said had become a symbol of government inefficiency and public frustration. She claimed the new system would save billions in taxpayer funds and restore trust in the country’s border security.
“Only the Conservatives have a credible plan to protect Britain’s borders,” she added. “Anyone who comes here illegally will be deported — full stop.”
However, Badenoch faced tough questions during an appearance on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, where she was pressed about where deported migrants would be sent. Her response sparked criticism for its dismissive tone.
“I’m tired of these irrelevant questions about where they’ll go,” she replied. “They’ll return to where they should be — their home countries or another nation that accepts them — but not here.”
When the interviewer pressed further, Badenoch added firmly:
“They’ll go back to where they came from.”
According to a Sky News report, the proposed Removals Force will replace the existing Home Office Immigration Enforcement unit. The new agency will reportedly have expanded powers, including the use of facial recognition technology without prior notice to identify and remove undocumented migrants.
If approved, Badenoch’s plan would represent one of the most sweeping changes to UK immigration policy in decades, potentially redefining the country’s approach to human rights, asylum, and border security.
The announcement has already ignited heated political debate, with supporters hailing it as a long-overdue step toward restoring border integrity, while critics argue it undermines the UK’s international obligations and risks further straining relations with European partners.
As the immigration crisis continues to dominate public discourse, Badenoch’s plan could become a defining issue in the next general election — testing Britain’s balance between compassion, sovereignty, and security.