The Conservative Party has announced ambitious plans to remove 750,000 illegal immigrants from the UK within five years, unveiling a tough, Trump-style approach to immigration enforcement as its annual conference begins in Manchester.
Under the proposals, anyone entering the UK without permission would be banned from claiming asylum. Those whose claims are rejected would no longer be able to appeal decisions in the courts; instead, appeals would be handled internally by Home Office officials.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told the BBC that migrants should “go back to where they came from” or be sent to other safe countries. The plan includes a strengthened Removals Force with new powers and a doubled budget, funded partly by closing asylum hotels. The government aims to remove at least 150,000 people per year, a five-fold increase on last year’s 35,000 removals, most of which were voluntary.
The plan covers illegal immigrants currently living in the UK, future arrivals, and foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes. Deportations would be to their home countries where possible, or to safe third countries willing to accept them. The Tories also intend to pressure non-cooperative countries by threatening to withhold aid and visas.
Inspired by US immigration policies under former President Trump, the Conservatives plan to give police powers to check biometric data during arrests and allow facial recognition without public notification. They also propose expanding detention facilities for migrants awaiting removal.
Key to the plan is abolishing the Immigration Tribunal, replacing court appeals with an internal Home Office process. Taxpayer-funded legal aid for immigration cases would also be scrapped, with the government arguing claims will be assessed fairly.
The Tories reaffirmed their intention to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), aiming to prevent judicial blocks on deportations. This move creates a clear divide with Labour, which has ruled out leaving the ECHR but plans to tighten Channel crossing policies.
Badenoch defended the party’s approach as credible and legally sound, criticizing rival Reform UK’s similar proposals as unrealistic. The border crackdown marks a defining moment for the Conservatives as they seek to regain public support amid tough competition from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
