The Reform UK party has announced a controversial new policy pledge, stating it would prosecute civil servants found to have knowingly granted asylum to individuals convicted of sex offences.
New Criminal Offence and Punishments
The party, led by Nigel Farage, has committed to creating a new criminal offence of 'dishonestly determining an asylum claim'. Those found guilty could face a prison sentence of up to two years. Furthermore, Reform UK stated that civil servants who break this proposed law could be dismissed for gross misconduct and potentially stripped of their civil service pensions.
Nigel Farage declared: "Any civil servant who wilfully allows migrants to enter the UK when they know that they pose a risk will be held accountable for their actions." He added, "I will not allow the safety of our women and girls to be sacrificed on the altar of misguided liberalism."
Task Force to Review Past Decisions
Zia Yusuf, the party's policy chief, accused previous Labour and Conservative governments of granting asylum to dangerous foreign offenders. He announced that a Reform UK government would establish a dedicated task force to scrutinise past asylum decisions.
"Today we are announcing that a Reform UK government will create a task force to go through all these decisions and ensure civil servants who knowingly granted sex offenders asylum are held to account," Yusuf said. "That means termination for gross misconduct, potentially losing their pensions and prosecution."
Broader Context and Government Response
This pledge forms part of Reform UK's wider agenda on public sector reform and immigration. The party has previously vowed to cut 68,500 civil service jobs if it gains power, redirecting funds from "over-generous" pension contributions towards bonuses for high performers.
In response, a Government spokesperson defended the work of civil servants: "Civil servants do vital work securing UK borders and processing returns so that foreign national offenders are removed from our streets." They highlighted that since the Government came into power, nearly 50,000 people with no right to remain have been removed, with asylum-related returns increasing by 27 per cent compared to the previous year.
The spokesperson added that the Government is reforming human rights laws and the appeals system to facilitate more deportations, stating: "We will not allow foreign criminals and illegal migrants to exploit our laws."
Under current rules, the UK can refuse asylum to anyone convicted of a 'particularly serious crime', defined as an offence carrying a sentence of 12 months or more. The Government has already tightened these regulations to block anyone with a conviction that would place them on the sex offenders register, whether from the UK or overseas, from obtaining refugee status.
