As Pakistan celebrated its 79th Independence Day, a controversial statement from Rupert Lowe drew sharp attention in Britain. In a tweet, the MP for Great Yarmouth called for a ban on immigration from Pakistan and four other nations, framing it as part of his party's broader agenda.
He declared: 'We must start to normalise the idea of entirely banning immigration into Britain from certain countries.' He went on to list Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan, Eritrea and Afghanistan, adding: 'A full Restore Britain policy document is being worked on.'
We must start to normalise the idea of entirely banning immigration into Britain from certain countries.
— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) August 13, 2026
Sudan, Somalia, Pakistan, Eritrea, Afghanistan.
To name just a handful.
A full Restore Britain policy document is being worked on...
End of British Rule
On 14 August 1947, Pakistan became its own independent nation. It marked the end of British rule, as well as its separation from the Indian subcontinent. The skies were lit with fireworks all over the country as citizens celebrated the anniversary.
At the newly inaugurated Yadgar-e-Fatah, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir led the hoisting of Pakistan's largest flag at exactly 12 midnight on Friday. Another flag-raising was held at the Pakistan Monument, a national landmark on Shakarparian Hills in Islamabad, Pakistan.
President of Pakistan, Prime Minister and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, NI(M), HJ, COAS & CDF, inaugurate the Marka E Haq Yadgar-e-Fatah monument in Islamabad on the eve of Pakistan Independence Day #ISPR pic.twitter.com/b9Sv8NoEM7
— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) August 13, 2026
'Today, as a nation, we pay our earnest tribute to the leaders, stalwarts and workers of the Pakistan Movement and to our forefathers who made determined efforts to turn the dream of a free motherland into a reality,' Prime Minister Sharif's message read. 'Let us, on this day, renew our national resolve to work together for the development and prosperity, peace and stability, mutual harmony and national unity.'
Sharif also expressed solidarity with Palestine in his message, as the region continues to fight for recognition as an independent nation. 'Pakistan expresses its unwavering solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people and with our brothers and sisters in Jammu and Kashmir, and reiterates its steadfast principled support for them,' Sharif also said.
Just hours before the celebrations across Pakistan, Lowe, the leader of Restore Britain, announced that Pakistanis would not be welcome under his party's proposed immigration policy. Lowe will also ban the neighbouring country of Afghanistan.
'Red List' Countries
Lowe included the African countries of Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan in his proposed ban, while bragging about Restore Britain's great strides after just six months of existence. 'Six months of Restore Britain as a political party—our remarkable progress has surpassed what anyone thought possible. We are going to take our country back.'
Restore Britain broke away from Nigel Farage's Reform UK in 2025 and was officially recognised as a political party in February 2026. It has designated certain nations as 'Red List' countries.
According to the party, these countries are those whose migrants allegedly show disproportionately high crime rates in the UK. The party's criteria include 'crime statistics, cultural attitudes, sexual offences, extremism risk, visa overstayers, integration failure, and foreign policy hostility.' Countries that refuse to take back national offenders and illegal migrants deported from the UK will also be placed on the list.
Somalia was not in the original countries marked for Red Listing by Restore Britain. Instead, the list included India and Syria. Lowe created Restore Britain last year following internal disputes among Reform UK party leaders.
