Reform UK, a political party in the United Kingsom has pledged to deport 600,000 people within five years if it forms a government, and would construct a network of basic not punitive purpose-built modular steel structures in remote parts of the country.
This forms part of the UK government’s radical proposals for housing illegal immigrants, as they had previously been housed in hotels which cost the government a staggering £15.3bn over a ten-year period.
Official figures released last month reveal that at the end of June, 32,059 asylum seekers were being accommodated in hotels.
While this number is a decrease from the peak of 56,042 in September 2023 under the previous administration, it remains higher than when the Labour government took office.
In addition to hotels, a further 74,016 asylum seekers are currently housed in other taxpayer-funded accommodation. This includes dispersal housing, such as rented flats, which is intended for more long-term use.
The figures highlight the ongoing challenge and substantial cost associated with the UK’s asylum accommodation system.
The Conservative party now says it would construct a network of new modular detention centres in remote parts of the country to hold those who arrive in the UK illegally.
Zia Yusuf, head of policy, Reform UK clarified that these new centres would not be shipping containers but rather purpose-built modular steel structures.
The party states the facilities would be basic but not punitive, featuring prefabricated two-person rooms, on-site medical services, and canteen-style catering, though it has declined to specify the exact locations for these new centres.
Sir Keir Starmer has faced sharp criticism from both the Conservative Party and Reform UK over his strategy for tackling illegal immigration, following his Labour Party’s recent victory in the general election.
The debate centres on Labour’s decision to scrap the Conservative government’s controversial Rwanda deportation scheme.
