Farage vows to scrap human rights laws to enable mass deportations

Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, unveiled a controversial plan on Tuesday to repeal Britain’s human rights laws and push through mass deportations of asylum seekers, arguing such measures were necessary to avert what he described as the risk of “major civil disorder.”

Speaking at a press conference in London, Farage said a Reform UK government would pull Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repeal the Human Rights Act, and suspend other international agreements that have been used in recent years to block removals of asylum seekers.

“The current system is broken beyond repair,” Farage declared.

“Unless we take decisive action to remove those with no legal right to be here, the country will face serious unrest.

Our laws must serve the interests of the British people, not international lawyers in Strasbourg.”

Reform UK, which has surged ahead in recent national opinion polls, has made migration its defining campaign issue. Farage framed his latest proposals as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration, including plans to establish offshore processing centres and fast-track deportations to third countries.

The announcement drew swift criticism from human rights organisations and political opponents. Amnesty International called the proposals “a dangerous assault on fundamental freedoms,” while Labour’s shadow home secretary accused Farage of “pandering to fear rather than offering workable solutions.”

Britain has long faced legal obstacles to its deportation policies, with courts citing obligations under the ECHR and other treaties to prevent removals that could expose individuals to torture or persecution.

Successive Conservative governments have clashed with the courts on similar issues, most recently over the stalled Rwanda deportation plan.

Farage, however, insisted that Britain’s sovereignty was at stake.

“We cannot have unelected judges stopping us from securing our borders,” he said.

“Only by taking back control of our legal system can we restore order and fairness.”

With Reform UK topping several opinion polls, Farage’s announcement signals a sharp escalation in Britain’s immigration debate — and sets the stage for what could become a defining battle over the country’s place in the international human rights framework.