Just days before millions go to the polls, Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's shadow home secretary, announced that a Reform government would “prioritise” the siting of migrant detention centres in areas with Green MPs or councils. The announcement, made in a video filmed on Brighton beachfront, was accompanied by a webpage where voters can enter their postcode to see if their area is “on the list” for a detention centre. For example, inputting the postcode E8 1EA (Hackney town hall) brings up a red box warning: “Yes – on the list. Your area will be prioritised to receive a detention centre under this policy. Stand with Reform to change that.”
Reactions and Controversy
The policy drew widespread condemnation. The Greens and Labour described it as “disgusting” and “grotesque”, while the Conservatives dismissed it as “not a serious policy” and “made up on the spot for a social media video”. Imran Hussain, director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, called it “unworkable and profoundly un-British”. A YouGov poll on Tuesday found that 45% of over 4,000 adults believed it was unacceptable for a government to base constituency decisions on which party voters supported. Even among Reform voters, 37% found it unacceptable.
Strategic Intent
Reform’s strategy appears twofold: garner social media attention and sharpen dividing lines with the Greens ahead of local elections. Yusuf has repeatedly challenged Green leader Zack Polanski to a live debate, framing the contest as a battle for the “soul of the country”. John McTernan, a former adviser to Tony Blair, noted: “Reform are a very modern political party, which farms outrage... in a low turnout election, this ensures their voters have something to feel strongly about.”
Reform’s core deportation policy, “Operation Restoring Justice”, was unveiled last August, pledging to deport hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and build Secure Immigration Removal Centres (SIRCs) in “remote parts of the country”. However, Yusuf’s new announcement pivots from that original plan, targeting urban Green strongholds instead.
Impact on Voters
Green activists report that the policy has not come up on doorsteps, where voters are more concerned with “bread and butter” issues. James Meadway, a Green candidate in Tower Hamlets, noted: “Even where we find people torn between voting Reform or Green, they are upset at the state of the world and want change.”
The policy underscores Reform’s attempt to capture voters disillusioned with the main parties, positioning themselves as a populist alternative to the Greens.
