As the Conservative Party kicked off its annual conference in Manchester on October 5, 2025, leader Kemi Badenoch unveiled a sweeping new immigration policy that has already ignited fierce debate across the political spectrum. The centerpiece of the plan is the creation of a UK "Removals Force," modeled after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, with the bold ambition to detain and deport 150,000 illegal migrants each year—totaling 750,000 over the course of a five-year Parliament, according to BBC and Sky News.
This new force, which is set to replace the existing Home Office Immigration Enforcement (IE), would be armed with "sweeping new powers," including the controversial use of facial recognition technology without prior warning. The Conservatives say the Removals Force will work closely with police, who will be required to check the immigration status of everyone they stop or arrest. The force's annual funding would double, leaping from £820 million to £1.6 billion, with the extra money coming from the closure of asylum hotels and what the party describes as tackling the "wider costs of our out-of-control asylum system" (NationalWorld).
The scale of the plan is striking. In the last year, the UK removed around 35,000 migrants, most on a voluntary basis. The Conservative pledge would mean a five-fold increase, with officials instructed to remove people "within hours or at most a few days" of their cases being decided. The target population includes not only those currently living in the UK illegally but also future illegal arrivals and all foreign nationals convicted of crimes more serious than minor traffic offences.
“We must tackle the scourge of illegal immigration into Britain and secure our borders. That is why the Conservatives are setting out a serious and comprehensive new plan to end this crisis,” Badenoch declared at the conference, as quoted by NationalWorld. The plan, she added, is "serious and credible and backed by a comprehensive legal analysis."
But the inspiration for this new Removals Force—the U.S. ICE agency—has itself been the subject of heated criticism. According to Sky News, ICE has faced accusations of arresting not just undocumented migrants but also legal residents and U.S. citizens, with critics alleging the agency has targeted individuals based on race. The prospect of importing an ICE-style model to British shores has already raised eyebrows, even within Conservative ranks, particularly over the expanded use of live facial recognition and the potential threat to civil liberties and privacy.
Beyond the operational details, the Conservatives’ immigration overhaul includes a raft of legal and institutional changes. Most notably, the party announced its intention to withdraw the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), repeal the Human Rights Act, and leave the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. The party argues that these steps are necessary to "end the legal blocks that allow illegal immigrants, and in some cases foreign criminals, to stay in the UK based on flimsy claims" (Sky News).
The proposed changes to the asylum system are equally dramatic. Refugee status would be granted only to those "threatened by a foreign government," explicitly excluding claims from those fleeing conflict or "less tolerant" laws on religion or sexuality. The party claims this would mean "few people will qualify." Additionally, the immigration tribunal would be abolished, with all decisions taken by the Home Office and only limited rights of appeal in cases where officials have acted outside their authority. Legal aid for immigration cases would be denied, with the Conservatives accusing solicitors of having "defrauded" the UK by "coaching" applicants, and asserting there is "no need for lawyers" as people "should simply tell the truth about their circumstances."
These moves have drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and human rights advocates. A Labour Party spokesperson lambasted the Conservative approach: “The Conservatives’ message on immigration is: we got everything wrong, we won’t apologise, now trust us. It won’t wash – Kemi Badenoch’s party enabled record high net migration as removals plummeted, opened over 400 asylum hotels and wasted £700 million of taxpayers’ money to send just four volunteers to Rwanda. This Labour government is fixing the Tories’ mess by smashing the people-smuggling gangs running the vile small boats trade, closing asylum hotels, deporting foreign criminals and signing international returns deals to bring order to Britain’s borders,” as reported by NationalWorld and Sky News.
The new policy also represents a clear attempt by the Conservatives to outflank Reform UK, the right-wing party led by Nigel Farage, which has pledged to leave the ECHR and deport up to 600,000 people over five years if it wins power. Badenoch, for her part, dismissed the Reform UK plan as "nothing but announcements that fall apart on arrival," insisting that the Conservative blueprint is "backed by comprehensive legal analysis" and is the “difference the next Conservative government will deliver.”
The Labour government, meanwhile, has opted not to leave the ECHR but is reviewing its application in UK law. Labour has also set out plans to lengthen refugees' path to permanent settlement and negotiated a "one in, one out" pilot scheme with France, although Badenoch mocked this as “one thousand in, one out,” pointing out that just 18 people have been returned so far after crossing the Channel (BBC).
The policy changes come at a time when migration is once again dominating British headlines. According to the Press Association, 34,401 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far in 2025, putting the year on course for a new record. The Conservatives argue that only a radical overhaul can stem the tide, but critics warn that the proposed measures risk undermining the UK’s international obligations and fundamental rights.
Key civil liberties concerns center on the expanded use of facial recognition technology and the potential for racial profiling. Even some Conservative MPs have expressed unease, fearing that the new powers could erode individual freedoms. Human rights organizations are expected to challenge any withdrawal from the ECHR and the abolition of legal aid, arguing that such moves would leave vulnerable migrants without recourse to justice.
As the Conservative conference continues in Manchester, the party’s immigration proposals are set to remain front and center. With an election looming and public concern over migration running high, the debate over how Britain should police its borders—and at what cost to its values—shows no sign of abating. The coming months will test whether the Conservatives’ gamble on a "Removals Force" will win over voters or deepen the country’s political and moral divides.
For now, the Conservative Party has thrown down the gauntlet, promising to transform the UK’s approach to illegal migration. Whether this vision becomes reality, or is tempered by legal, political, and practical constraints, remains to be seen.
