While the forced repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey has continued over the past three years, the UK Reform Party has now warned that, if it comes to power, it will repatriate illegal immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria.
Zia Yusuf, spokesperson for the party’s Home Affairs, told GB News that in the event of a party victory in the upcoming elections, all illegal immigrants would be expelled.
He also warned these three countries that if they fail to cooperate in the return of their nationals, their citizens would face visa bans.
Zia Yusuf said:
“As Home Secretary, I will use every possible means to ensure the return of illegal immigrants from the UK, including imposing visa restrictions on countries that refuse to take back their nationals.”
According to reports, the UK has hosted around 600,000 illegal immigrants since 2024. Yusuf said that for the sake of Britain’s security, all such individuals should be returned to their home countries.
The party’s spokesperson added that, if it wins the upcoming general elections, it will also take measures to significantly reduce new immigration to the UK.
Refugee affairs analyst Glakhan Bahadri said:
“If visa bans are imposed on citizens of these countries, the greatest impact will fall on new applicants. This could cause delays, rejections, or stricter conditions for visas for education, work, or family reunification, leading to potentially serious consequences for those applying.”
Previously, the UK Home Secretary also warned last November that visa bans could be imposed on citizens of Angola, Namibia, and Congo if the necessary cooperation was not provided.
Human rights activists view the expulsion of illegal immigrants and visa restrictions as measures that limit legal migration pathways and encourage irregular migration.
Abdul Raziq Adil, a refugee rights activist, said:
“For citizens of countries like Afghanistan, this means legal migration channels would be restricted, and family reunification would become more difficult. Implementing such policies could have serious political and diplomatic consequences and may place thousands of people and legal migrants at risk of instability.”
The UK Reform Party’s warning comes at a time when, since 2023, Pakistan and Iran have repatriated approximately five million Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan.
