Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has urged the Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer to act swiftly by adopting the party’s proposed deportation bill, warning that immigration numbers are rising at an alarming rate.
In a video posted to her official X account on Saturday, Badenoch expressed concern that, without immediate reforms, as many as two million immigrants could qualify for British citizenship by next year — a figure she said is nearly double the size of Birmingham’s population.
“To tackle this, we’ve introduced a deportation bill because we are serious about cutting immigration,” she stated.
The bill, made public on Tuesday, proposes strict changes to the UK’s immigration framework.
It seeks to enforce the removal of foreign nationals with criminal records, introduce mandatory age verification, tighten visa issuance, limit the application of the Human Rights Act in immigration matters, require repayment for asylum support, and deny permanent residency to individuals dependent on state welfare.
Badenoch insisted these reforms are urgent, saying, “None of this will change until it becomes law. Labour must act now. We need to get tough, and that’s exactly what the Conservative deportation bill is designed to do. The United Kingdom is a home—not a hotel.”
Her remarks come amid growing public debate around immigration policies and national identity, as the new Labour government settles into office.