Keir Starmer, leader of the Conservative Party. AFP Yonhap News

Britain is raising its voice to strengthen immigration controls, regardless of party affiliation.

According to the daily Telegraph and BBC on the 5th (local time), Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, announced that if the Conservative Party comes to power, it will pursue "Trump-style" immigration crackdowns and deport 150,000 illegal immigrants annually, ahead of the party convention.

Starmer announced the Conservative Party's immigration policies, including deporting illegal entrants via small boats within a week, completely denying asylum applications from illegal entrants, withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which asylum seekers have used as a basis for staying in the UK, and stripping judges of their power to grant immigration permits.

A plan to operate "removal forces" modeled after the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Donald Trump administration is also in the works. The goal is to increase the deportation of asylum rejectees from the current level of approximately 9,800 annually to 150,000.

In an interview with the Telegraph, Starmer emphasized that the "absurd human rights debate" that prevents the government from doing the "right thing" regarding immigration will be stopped.

He also claimed that criminal organizations exploiting minors have emerged due to the UK's "shameful" immigration system. This refers to the decades-long incidents of South Asian criminal gangs exploiting white girls across Britain.

The Conservative Party, which lost power after 14 years in the last general election, is significantly trailing in approval ratings not only to the ruling Labour Party but also to the nascent right-wing populist Reform UK party. Reform UK is at the forefront of approval ratings, fueled by disappointment with established parties and anti-immigration sentiment.

Major British political parties are vying to present policies that strengthen immigration controls.

Reform UK announced its plan to completely abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), which allows foreigners who have stayed long-term on a legal visa to permanently reside and work, and replace it with a new visa requiring renewal every five years, if they come to power.

Following this, the Labour Party announced it would pursue policies to strengthen the criteria for granting permanent residency, requiring applicants to have a high level of English proficiency, no criminal record, and to have contributed to British society through activities such as community service.

Yonhap News