Farage says he wants to send female asylum seekers back to the Taliban in Afghanistan

Nigel Farage has said he would deport women asylum seekers back to Afghanistan under Taliban rule if he became prime minister.

The Reform UK leader’s stance on the issue has shifted. While he previously stated he would not send women back to the Taliban, he now says both men and women who arrive illegally would be detained and deported. Speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, Farage confirmed: “For clarity, those that cross the English Channel will be detained and deported, men and women. Children, we’ll have to think about.”

Farage argued the UK only has a “duty of care” towards children, such as a four-year-old arriving on a dinghy, but not to adult asylum seekers.

This comes after comments in August when he claimed his focus was on male migrants, saying reports suggesting he wanted to deport women and children were incorrect.

At the conference, Farage also walked back his claim that Reform would stop small boat crossings within two weeks of taking office. While he had previously pledged immediate action, he now says new legislation would first be required, after which crossings could be halted “within two weeks, or sooner.”

He confirmed that under his plans, a new Illegal Migration Act would be introduced, the UK would withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights, asylum hotels would be closed, RAF bases would be used for housing, and deportation flights would begin shortly after the law passes.

Farage argued that these measures would act as a deterrent to people attempting to cross from France.

Reform UK’s success in implementing this agenda depends on winning a future general election. While Labour does not have to call an election until 2029, Farage predicted the current government could fall by 2027 due to economic pressures. Reform is currently outperforming both Labour and the Conservatives in the polls and is targeting upcoming local elections in Wales, Scotland, and England to gain influence at the council and assembly levels.