Reform promises tariffs on countries that refuse to take back migrants
Nigel Farage is expected to outline the plan this week, escalating February’s visa ban proposals for six countries with tariffs, airline bans and levies on goods and services.
Reform UK would impose tariffs on countries that refuse to accept the return of migrants, under immigration plans Nigel Farage is expected to announce this week.
The Times reported that the package is aimed at forcing countries to agree to deportations, and would include banning airlines from British airspace as well as levies on goods and services. The tariff rate has yet to be fixed.
The proposal escalates plans first announced in February for visa bans on people legally visiting Britain from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Sudan or Somalia, until those countries agree to take back illegal immigrants and foreign criminals in the UK. The list includes several countries with the largest numbers of asylum seekers in the UK in recent years.
I will not tolerate countries who won’t take back illegal migrants.Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, on social media, October 2026
Reform says tariffs would put economic pressure on states that will not accept deportees, and party figures believe they may carry more weight where visa bans alone do not. Mr Farage has written on social media: “I will not tolerate countries who won’t take back illegal migrants.”
The Times noted that tariffs have been a favoured diplomatic tool for President Trump, and that Reform could face significant legal challenges. Under World Trade Organisation rules, members must generally be charged the same tariff, known as the most-favoured nation rule, with an exemption for a war or an emergency in international relations, a principle Britain relied on in 2022 when it raised tariffs on Russia and Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine.
About 20,900 people have crossed the Channel in small boats this year, down about 40 per cent on the same period in 2025, according to official figures reported by The Times. More than 211,000 people have made the crossing since 2018.
Reporting of the plan noted its timing: the i Paper, via coverage of the announcement, said Reform has seen support fall amid funding rows while Labour’s ratings have steadied since Andy Burnham arrived in Downing Street, leaving Reform second in most polls.
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