Badenoch Unveils UK’s “Toughest-Ever” Immigration Reforms, Targets 150,000 Deportations Annually

United Kingdom Conservative Party leader, Kemi Badenoch, has announced a sweeping new immigration crackdown designed to detain and deport up to 150,000 illegal migrants every year — a move she described as the “toughest reforms Britain has ever seen.”

In a video message shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Badenoch introduced the Radical Borders Plan, which includes the establishment of a new Removals Force modeled after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The new agency, set to replace the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement unit, would wield expanded powers — including the use of facial recognition technology without prior notice — to locate and expel undocumented migrants.

“My message is clear: if you’re here illegally, you will be detained and deported,” Badenoch declared.

The plan also proposes major legal overhauls such as repealing the Human Rights Act, banning asylum claims from illegal entrants, and withdrawing the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights. Countries refusing to accept deported nationals would face visa sanctions, and all illegal entrants would be removed within seven days.

Badenoch, known for her hardline stance on immigration, criticised both Labour and past Conservative governments for years of inaction. “Successive governments have failed on immigration. Labour promised to smash the gangs but instead oversaw record small boat crossings, billions wasted, and 32,000 people housed in asylum hotels,” she said.

She insisted the new enforcement system would “shut down the asylum hotel racket,” cut public spending, and restore public confidence in Britain’s borders.

“Only the Conservatives have a serious, credible plan to deliver stronger borders. If you come here illegally, you will be deported,” Badenoch asserted.

However, during a BBC interview with Laura Kuenssberg, Badenoch faced pushback for avoiding questions about where deported migrants would be sent. “They will go back to where they should be or another country, but they should not be here,” she replied. When pressed further, she added, “They will go back to where they came from.”

According to Sky News, the proposed Removals Force would possess broader authority than the current immigration enforcement unit, potentially marking one of the most dramatic shifts in Britain’s immigration policy in modern times.