Starmer Brands Farage’s Deportation Proposal “Racist” and WarnsWould “Tear the Country Apart

sUK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned Nigel Farage and Reform UK’s newly touted immigration measures as “racist” and “immoral,” arguing they would target people who are lawfully resident and “tear the country apart.” Speaking at Labour’s annual conference,

Starmer drew a sharp line between tackling illegal migration and, as he put it, “reaching into the lives of those who are settled here, contribute to our communities, and threatening them with removal.” He stressed he was not calling Reform voters racist, describing many as frustrated with politics, but insisted the policy itself must be “called out for what it is.”

Reform UK has floated plans that would end or revoke routes to indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and settled status, with stricter re-qualification requirements and the prospect of deportation for some long-term legal residents who do not meet new thresholds.

The package discussed by party figures has also included proposals to ban welfare access for non-citizens and require citizenship applicants to renounce other nationalities. Starmer and senior ministers said such steps would destabilize families, workplaces, and local services that rely on settled migrants including in health and social care while triggering legal and diplomatic fallout.

Starmer used the moment to frame Labour’s alternative: faster asylum decisions, stronger enforcement against illegal working, and tighter employer checks (including digital ID systems) without criminalizing or uprooting people who have built lives in the UK under existing rules.

The prime minister coupled his attack with a call for party unity amid rough polling and internal debate on spending and public-service reform, urging Labour to focus on living standards and community safety rather than “navel-gazing.”

Reform UK, led by Farage, has argued that its platform would “restore control” to the immigration system and prioritize British citizens. The party contends that settlement and benefits reforms are necessary to reduce net migration and relieve pressure on housing and services.

However, critics across the spectrum, legal experts, unions, and opposition parties warn that scrapping or retroactively altering ILR could be unworkable, face human-rights challenges, and sow disruption for hundreds of thousands who arrived legally and complied with the rules.

Sources: The Guardian, Reuters, Sky News