Nigel Farage has warned of a “genuine threat to public order” without action to tackle illegal migration.
The Clacton MP launched Reform UK’s “operation restoring justice”, which the party is billing as a five-year emergency programme to detain and deport illegal migrants and deter future arrivals that they would enact if elected to government.
Speaking at London Oxford Airport, he said: “The mood in the country around this issue is a mix between total despair and rising anger.
“And I would say this, that without action, without somehow the contract between the Government and the people being renewed, without some trust coming back, then I fear deeply that that anger will grow.
“In fact, I think there is now, as a result of this, a genuine threat to public order.”
He said the only way to stop small boat arrivals is by “detaining and deporting absolutely anyone that comes via that route”.
“And if we do that, the boats will stop coming within days, because there will be no incentive to pay a trafficker to get into this country.
“If you come to the UK illegally, you will be detained and deported and never, ever allowed to stay, period. That is our big message from today.”
Some 600,000 asylum seekers could be deported in the first parliament of a Reform UK government, Mr Farage indicated.
Turning to senior Reform UK figure Zia Yusuf, Mr Farage said: “But do we realistically think, Zia, we can deport 5-600,000 people in the lifetime of the first parliament?”
Mr Yusuf replied: “Totally.”
The party pledged to scale up detention capacity for asylum seekers to 24,000 and secure deals with countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea and Iran to return migrants to their countries.
Reform UK claims the plan will cost £10 billion to implement but save £7 billion currently spent on illegal migration during the first five years.
The party would leave the European Convention on Human Rights and replace the Human Rights Act with a British Bill of Rights, which would apply only to British citizens and those who have a legal right to live in the UK.
They would also bring forward legislation to make everyone who arrives illegally ineligible for asylum and allow asylum seekers to be detained until deportation.
Minister Matthew Pennycook criticised the plans as “unworkable gimmicks”.
It comes as the Government prepares to send back the first small boat arrivals to France under the one in, one out migrant deal.
A record 28,288 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year so far, after 212 people did so on Sunday in four boats, making the total 46% more than by the same date in 2024.
Further boats were seen embarking on the dangerous journey on Monday, though the official number of those who made the crossing has not yet been published.
Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing pressure from senior Labour figures and his own supporters, who feel the Government’s attempts to tackle the migrant crisis have so far failed.
YouGov polling released over the weekend found that 71% of voters believe the Prime Minister is handling the asylum hotel issue badly, including 56% of Labour supporters.
