UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced a sweeping new immigration overhaul that she claims will mark the “toughest reforms Britain has ever witnessed.” The proposal, known as the Radical Borders Plan, is designed to identify, detain, and deport up to 150,000 illegal migrants from the United Kingdom each year.
In a video message shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday, Badenoch detailed her vision for a tougher, more assertive border policy that would reshape Britain’s immigration system.
“My message is clear,” she stated. “If you are in the United Kingdom illegally, you will be detained and deported.”
The proposal introduces a new enforcement body, the UK Removals Force, which will function similarly to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The unit will have expanded powers to locate and remove undocumented individuals, marking a significant departure from previous border control practices.
Badenoch—who has long positioned herself as a hardliner on immigration—criticised both Labour and past Conservative administrations for their failure to curb illegal crossings. She accused Labour of mishandling the crisis, leading to record arrivals and escalating public costs.
“Successive governments have failed to secure Britain’s borders,” she said. “Labour promised to dismantle smuggling networks, but instead we saw over 50,000 illegal arrivals in a single year and billions wasted on asylum hotels. Britain deserves a serious, credible plan—and we are delivering it.”
Sweeping Reforms and Legal Overhauls
Under Badenoch’s proposed plan, asylum applications from illegal entrants would be barred entirely. The Human Rights Act would be repealed, and the UK would withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, a move that would dramatically shift the country’s human rights framework.
She also promised that all new illegal arrivals would be deported within seven days, with legal obstacles removed to expedite mass removals. Countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens would face visa restrictions and sanctions.
According to Badenoch, the reforms will “shut down the asylum hotel industry,” save taxpayers billions of pounds, and restore public confidence in Britain’s immigration system.
“Only the Conservatives have the courage and determination to secure our borders,” she added. “If you come here illegally, you will be deported.”
Criticism and Controversy
Badenoch’s proposal, however, sparked controversy during her appearance on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, where she dismissed questions about where deported migrants would be relocated.
“I’m tired of irrelevant questions about destinations,” she said. “They’ll return to where they came from—or another suitable country—but they won’t stay here.”
Reports from Sky News revealed that the new Removals Force would replace the existing Home Office Immigration Enforcement division, gaining powers to use facial recognition technology without prior consent to identify and process undocumented migrants.
If enacted, the policy would mark one of the most extensive transformations of the UK’s immigration system in decades—fueling debate over the balance between national sovereignty, human rights, and humanitarian obligations.
