Nigel Farage has watered down a headline pledge he made at Reform UK’s party conference to stop small boat crossings within two weeks of entering government. Speaking to activists in Birmingham on Friday, the Reform leader promised swift action on Channel arrivals, declaring: “We will stop the boats.” But in an interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he clarified that the two-week timetable would only begin after new legislation is passed — a process that could take months. Farage insisted his plan relies on an “Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill” that would empower the government to detain and deport those arriving illegally, disapply international treaties, and ban deported migrants from re-entering for life. Critics argue the promise is unrealistic, but Farage pointed to Australia’s controversial offshore detention model as evidence it can be done.
Clarifying the Pledge
On Friday, Farage told Reform supporters: “You cannot come here illegally and stay. We will stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.” But by Sunday, he told the BBC the pledge depended on Parliament approving new laws. “As soon as the law is in place. As soon as you have the ability to detain and deport, you’ll stop it in two weeks,” he said. Asked whether that could take months, he replied his party would “want to do it as quickly as we possibly can.”
The Deportation Plan
Reform UK’s proposed bill would create a legal duty for the home secretary to remove all illegal migrants and permanently bar them from returning. Farage has also pledged £2bn to fund payments or aid packages for countries willing to take back deportees. The policy would disapply key international agreements such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, which prohibits returning refugees to countries where they face serious harm. Reform estimates it could deport 600,000 people over five years.
Australian Comparison
Farage frequently cites Australia’s approach under former prime minister Tony Abbott, when asylum-seeker boats were intercepted and turned back to Indonesia, and migrants sent offshore for processing in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. “Once you have the legal base to tow the boats back, you solve the problem in two weeks,” he argued. Australia recorded no new boat arrivals for months after Abbott’s policy was introduced, though the scheme drew heavy criticism from human rights groups.
Accusations of Overpromising
When challenged about whether his promise was realistic, Farage rejected the suggestion that it was empty rhetoric. “I mean what I say about mass deportations,” he told the BBC, accusing other parties of offering pledges “without ever intending to deliver them.” Reform UK has made curbing illegal migration a centrepiece of its platform ahead of the next general election, hoping to capitalise on voter frustration with the issue.
Personal Questions
Farage also faced scrutiny on unrelated matters during his media appearances. Asked if he would follow Sir Keir Starmer and former prime minister Rishi Sunak in publishing his tax returns, he said: “I personally think that’s an intrusion too far. I don’t believe it’s necessary.” Separately, he admitted he had “mis-spoken” when claiming to have bought a house in Clacton before the last election, clarifying that it was purchased by his partner. “I should have said ‘we’,” he told Sky News. “I own none of it. But I just happen to spend some time there.”
