Nigel Farage has unleashed a new attack on the government’s handling of illegal migration, pledging to create a dedicated Minister for Deportations if Reform UK gains power. Speaking in Dover, the Reform leader said it was time someone in government was “held accountable” for the growing crisis, adding that the current system is failing to remove criminals and illegal entrants fast enough.
He wants a specialist unit within the Home Office focused solely on deportations, particularly targeting foreign nationals who commit crimes or enter the UK illegally. “What I’m calling for isn’t actually anything particularly radical,” he said. “It’s actually just common sense.”
Farage accused Labour of losing grip of the Channel crisis, insisting they’re more focused on voluntary returns than dealing with serious offenders. “This Labour government claims they’ve increased deportations, but all they’ve done is send away visa overstayers and those who are happy to voluntarily return, often with £3,000 in their pocket,” he said.
One of his biggest criticisms centred on the European Court of Human Rights and the UK’s Human Rights Act, which he blamed for stopping deportations of dangerous criminals. “Every single week we see criminals who behave terribly, who ought to be deported, but they’re not,” Farage claimed. “It’s because they claim the right to a family life and the ECHR lets them stay.”
He pointed to high-profile cases, including an Albanian man who avoided deportation by arguing his son liked foreign chicken nuggets, and a Jamaican man convicted of rape who was allowed to remain in the UK after saying he was bisexual.
Farage also lashed out at the NHS, saying it relies too heavily on cheap overseas labour and slammed the practice of recruiting from poorer countries as unethical. He argued that decades of mass migration—both legal and illegal—have led to deep divisions in society, warning of rising extremism and cultural conflict.
“Multiculturalism is why we’ve got the growth of sectarian politics,” he said. “That’s why we’ve got people marching on the streets of London, and it’s why we’ve got the provocation of the Jewish community.”
Farage said it was time to abandon the idea that encouraging cultural difference was positive. “The realisation of what a huge error that was has been exposed – encouraging difference was a mistake and we should encourage a sense of togetherness.”
His comments come as new Home Office figures reveal Channel crossings have surged in 2025, with 8,888 people arriving by small boats in just four months — a 42% increase on the same period last year. In one day alone earlier this month, 705 people crossed the Channel in 12 boats, beating the previous record.
A Home Office source hit back at Farage’s comments, saying: “It’s a shame Farage hadn’t bothered to do his homework. We have a minister for removing those with no right to be here.”
They added: “Reform do gimmicks, Labour do delivery — and so far this government has removed 24,000 people including deporting 4,000 foreign criminals.”
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones made an unannounced visit to Dover alongside Home Office Minister Angela Eagle to inspect efforts at the border, with calls growing for increased funding to handle the soaring numbers.
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