Nigel Farage has rejected proposals to reopen “safe and legal” routes for vulnerable refugees from Palestine and Afghanistan, arguing that Britain must put “national security above everything else”.
The Reform UK leader was responding to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s plans to re-establish a “fast-track” resettlement scheme designed to provide a controlled route into Britain for people fleeing war and persecution.
The UK Resettlement Scheme is intended to target the “most vulnerable” refugees, including women and girls in Afghanistan, Palestinians with critical medical needs and survivors of torture. The Government has said the programme will be capped and controlled and could help reduce the incentive for people to make dangerous Channel crossings.
Those accepted under the scheme would receive immediate indefinite leave to remain, rather than having their protection status reviewed every 30 months.
Mahmood said the policy would allow Britain to “live up to our international obligations”, while stressing that admissions would remain subject to limits and controls.
Farage, however, said expanding legal routes could create additional security risks by enabling relatives to join those admitted.
“If you open up legal and safe routes to Palestine, for argument’s sake, you then automatically open the door for the partner to come, for children to come, for elderly parents to come,” he told The People’s Channel.
“Before you know it, not only have the numbers increased, but your potential risk of someone coming into Britain who does not support in any way at all our culture or traditions and believes in something that could pose a danger becomes greater.”
Farage pointed to recent cases involving the asylum system as evidence of what he described as weaknesses in existing controls.
“We also learnt at the weekend that the previous Conservative Government had given asylum to a man who was working with the leader of Hamas,” he said.
“The fact is, there are certain countries in the world that pose far greater risks of violence and terrorism than other parts of the world.”
Asked whether he would support any resettlement scheme, Farage was unequivocal.
“Given the massively increased risk to national security that I’ve been highlighting for years, especially in the last few months, we have to put national security above everything else.”
“The answer is no,” he declared.
The Reform leader also raised concerns over Iran, claiming he had received intelligence suggesting the Iranian regime was attempting to exploit Channel migration.
“I was given intelligence that the Iranian regime was using the small boats in the Channel to get their operatives into Britain, spies and potential terrorists for my trouble,” he said.
“I also know that over the last few months there has been a massive intelligence operation going on, led by counter-terrorism, looking at Iranian nationals living in Britain because they feared a bomb plot.”
Farage said he was therefore “not in the least bit surprised” by the suspected plot near RAF Fairford.
Iran has categorically denied involvement, while counter-terrorism police have said all five suspects arrested in connection with the incident are British nationals.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident, including whether there is any connection to Iran. No such link has been established publicly.
The Fairford investigation comes amid wider debate over Britain’s immigration and security systems, with British-Iranian families calling for changes to the visa system in response to concerns about alleged Iranian influence and intimidation in the UK.
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