Conservative Party proposes mass deportation of foreign criminals

The UK Conservative Party has announced a plan to significantly increase the deportation of foreign criminals, aiming to raise annual numbers from approximately 6,000 to 40,000. Under the proposal led by Kemi Badenoch’s party, automatic deportation would apply to foreign nationals convicted of any criminal offence, excluding minor infractions like parking tickets or littering.

To facilitate these removals, the Conservatives propose withdrawing the United Kingdom from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and repealing the Human Rights Act. The strategy also includes preventing modern slavery claims from obstructing deportations and implementing visa sanctions or aid cuts against countries that refuse to accept their deported citizens.

Additional measures include stripping British citizenship from naturalised dual nationals who have resided in the UK for less than 15 years and received prison sentences exceeding five years. The plan also suggests deploying live facial recognition technology in 100 high-crime areas to identify undocumented individuals and requiring police to routinely verify the immigration status of those arrested.

Reform UK has criticised the move, accusing the Conservatives of “shamelessly copying” their own policies. Reform’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, argued that the Conservative government created the current migrant crisis and lacks the trust required to deliver on such promises.