𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Nigel Farage has launched a scathing attack on the UK’s immigration system – and warned Sir Keir Starmer he will be held accountable if Labour fails to get a grip on rising migration numbers. The Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton said voters were “sick and tired” of mass migration, which he claimed was placing huge pressure on the NHS, housing, welfare and policing.

He said: “For years, the broadcast media have pushed the narrative that mass migration is a net benefit. Skilled migrants, we have long been told, will assimilate, strengthen our economy and drive innovation. What we’ve seen instead has been very different. Mass immigration has inflicted a massive strain on our public services, a surge in crime, a worsening housing crisis and led to fewer British people in work. Those who do pay their taxes are left carrying the burden of supporting those who don’t.”

Mr Farage cited new Department for Work and Pensions data showing 1.26 million foreign nationals currently claim Universal Credit, with around 740,000 of them unemployed – double the figure from three years ago.

Writing for MailOnline, he stressed: “These figures have doubled in the past three years alone. It proves there’s something fundamentally wrong with our immigration system. Far too many of those we welcome into this country are not working, overstaying their visas and living off the backs of the British taxpayer.”

He warned: “Arrive in Britain, receive a warm welcome, free housing, free public transport in parts of the country – and you’ll face little-to-no risk of deportation.”

Mr Farage said the cost of immigration – once housing, healthcare, benefits and transport are factored in – now runs “into the tens of billions,” adding: “It is no longer credible to argue that this population explosion has delivered financial benefits or strengthened our economy. On nearly every measure, Britain is weaker and poorer than it was before this influx.

“Figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest Britain’s population will hit 72.5 million by 2032, rising by nearly a million people each year.”

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) predicts the UK population will rise from 67 million in 2022 to 72.5 million by 2036 – an increase of around 5.5 million people over 14 years, or roughly 390,000 a year.

Mr Farage was likely referring to net migration– which reached 745,000 in 2022 and 672,000 in the year to June 2023, according to the ONS.

Mr Farage warned the country was at “breaking point,” highlighting the NHS elective care backlog – currently 7.46 million – and the UK’s low hospital bed capacity compared to other developed nations.

He said: “The UK can no longer be treated like a charity for the rest of the world: it is time we prioritised our people, our jobs and our culture.”

He further accused both the Conservatives and Labour of failing to act. He said: “While Labour has driven the immigration crisis to new heights, most of the blame lies with the Conservatives. They broke Britain and it will take Reform to fix it.”

Mr Farage pledged to ban foreign nationals from claiming benefits, freeze all immigration, and deport foreign criminals.

He said: “If you want to live in this country, you must work, contribute to society and adhere to our culture. We will ensure the UK welcomes only the best and brightest – in small numbers.

“My pledge to you is simple: freeze immigration, stop all benefits for foreign nationals, deport foreign criminals and put the needs of the British people front and centre. Only Reform can be trusted to do this.”