On September 6, 2025, the Reform UK party conference in Birmingham became the focal point of Britain’s ongoing debate over immigration, border security, and party unity. Nigel Farage, the party’s leader and perennial lightning rod for controversy, capped off the event with a plea for discipline among his supporters, while simultaneously walking back a headline-grabbing pledge to halt small boat crossings within two weeks of taking office.
Farage, addressing a packed room of party faithful, urged, “Can we please exercise discipline and air our disagreements between each other in private and not in public?” According to Reform UK, he called on attendees to step up as candidates, saying thousands would be needed for the 2026 elections across Wales, Scotland, London, the Midlands, and beyond. This message of unity, he stressed, was essential for what he described as the party’s “people’s army” to succeed in the massive electoral contests looming next year.
Yet the conference’s biggest headline came not from a rallying cry, but from Farage’s retreat on a core campaign promise. As reported by BBC Six O’Clock News, Farage backtracked on his pledge to stop small boats crossing the English Channel within two weeks of entering government. The promise, made just a day earlier, had electrified supporters and critics alike. But when pressed by journalists, Farage admitted that passing legislation would be necessary to achieve such a goal and conceded, “no one” could prevent the perilous dinghy journeys overnight. He insisted, however, that Reform UK would introduce an Illegal Migration Act in Parliament to address the problem.
The conference also served as a platform for the party’s evolving stance on asylum and migration. Farage confirmed, in an interview with Sky News’ Beth Rigby, his intention to deport female asylum seekers from Afghanistan back to the Taliban if his party wins the next election. When asked directly if he would detain and send women back to the fundamentalist regime, Farage replied simply, “yes.” He elaborated that all those crossing the English Channel—men and women—would be detained and deported, though he acknowledged children would require further consideration. “For clarity, those that cross the English Channel will be detained and deported, men and women. Children, we’ll have to think about,” he said, according to The Standard.
Farage’s tough talk on migration was paired with a suite of policy proposals. Reform UK outlined plans to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, close asylum hotels, move migrant residents to RAF bases, and bar all Channel migrants from claiming asylum. Motions passed at the conference included reviewing asylum approvals, repealing the 2008 Climate Change Act, and removing what the party calls “gender ideology” from public organisations, as noted by The Independent. The goal, Farage insisted, was to restore control over Britain’s borders and send a clear message to would-be migrants and smugglers alike.
Meanwhile, the government’s own efforts to address the migration crisis were unfolding in parallel—and with no less controversy. As reported by The Telegraph, ministers are close to agreeing on a “one in, one out” returns deal with Germany, having already sealed one with France. The arrangement would see the UK return small boat arrivals to Germany, while accepting a vetted asylum seeker from France who has not yet attempted the dangerous Channel crossing. The specifics remain under negotiation, but the plan underscores the complexity of managing migration flows across Europe.
The issue of asylum accommodation also loomed large. The government announced plans to close dozens of asylum hotels, which have become flashpoints for protests against illegal migration. Instead, military sites—including former RAF bases at MDP Wethersfield in Essex and Napier Barracks in Folkestone—are being considered for temporary accommodation. On Sunday, Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed to Sky News that military planners are working with the Home Office to identify suitable sites for rapid processing of new arrivals. “We are looking at the potential use of military and non-military sites for temporary accommodation for the people who come across on these small boats that may not have a right to be here or need to be processed rapidly before we can decide whether or not they should stay or whether or not we deport them,” Healey explained.
The scale of the challenge became evident as about 1,000 migrants crossed the Channel on September 6, 2025, according to the PA news agency. The government’s plan to move migrants into more rudimentary military accommodation has drawn criticism from pro-migrant groups, who compare such facilities to prisons. Nevertheless, the push to shutter hotels and expand use of military sites marks a continuation—and intensification—of policies begun under the previous Conservative government.
Political maneuvering around migration policy has not been limited to Reform UK. The Labour government, led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, has faced its own internal debates and reshuffles. As detailed by The Telegraph, Starmer recently appointed new ministers to focus on growth and border security, including Mike Tapp, the MP for Dover known for advocating tougher immigration measures. The Prime Minister declared, “Phase two of this Government is about delivery, and this is a government that will renew Britain and deliver the change that people voted for.” Yet not everyone in Labour is satisfied. The first Labour MP publicly criticized Starmer’s reshuffle, likening it to “shifting the deck chairs on the Titanic.”
Amid these shifting sands, the debate over how to handle illegal migration—and, more broadly, the future of Britain’s immigration system—remains as contentious as ever. Farage’s hardline proposals, including withdrawing from the ECHR and deporting all Channel migrants, have been criticized by some as inhumane or unworkable, while others see them as a necessary corrective to what they view as years of government failure. Labour’s approach, meanwhile, seeks to balance public concern over border security with legal obligations and humanitarian considerations, but faces criticism from both the left and right for either going too far or not far enough.
What’s clear is that the issue shows no sign of fading. With thousands of candidates needed for Reform UK’s electoral push, a government scrambling to close asylum hotels, and new migration deals in the works with Germany and France, Britain’s migration debate is set to dominate headlines—and shape the political landscape—for months to come.
Whether Farage’s calls for unity and discipline will translate into electoral gains, or whether the government’s new policies will stem the tide of Channel crossings, remains to be seen. For now, the only certainty is that the battle over Britain’s borders is far from over.
