FARAGE PLEDGES TO SUSPEND ASYLUM CLAIMS – Farage says roughly 90,000 pending asylum applications would be declared void
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, announced on Monday he would ban anyone being granted asylum for up to five years if his party wins the next national election as part of a crackdown on immigration to Britain.
Farage, a leading figure in the Brexit campaign, said the roughly 90,000 pending asylum applications would be declared void, new claims would be automatically rejected, and failed applicants would be returned either to their home countries or a safe third country.
Speaking on the south coast of England, Farage said he could impose tariffs, visa bans or airspace restrictions on countries refusing to accept the return of asylum seekers.
Reform UK was leading in the opinion polls in the summer, However, a combination of ongoing police and parliamentary investigations into how the party is funded plus Andy Burnham taking over as Labour prime minister has reportedly pushed the party into second place.
The next election is due in 2029. Immigration remains the top issue for British voters, according to the polls, driven in part by frustration over successive governments’ failure to stop tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving in boats from mainland Europe.
