Nigel Farage Sparks Row Over Indefinite Leave To Remain; 'He Has Not Thought This Through'

On 22 September 2025, Nigel Farage unleashed a storm in UK politics by vowing to scrap indefinite leave to remain, branding the post-Brexit 'Boriswave' as a catastrophic migration surge flooding Britain with low-skilled workers.

'Boriswave' refers to the sharp rise in immigration that followed then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson's post-Brexit policies, particularly the 2021 points-based system that made it easier for foreign workers and students to get UK visas.

The Reform UK leader claimed that abolishing the status for 800,000 future applicants would slash £234 billion in lifetime costs, insisting these migrants pose a 'huge burden on the state'.

The provocative migration crackdown drew swift condemnation from Labour, Liberal Democrats, and immigration experts, who branded it unworkable and a recipe for NHS collapse, reigniting fierce debate on Britain's 2025 immigration policies.

Farage Targets 'Boriswave' with £234 Billion Claim

Nigel Farage announced Reform UK's plan to replace indefinite leave to remain with renewable five-year visas, imposing stricter salary thresholds, English language tests, and benefit bans to curb what he calls the 'biggest betrayal of democratic wishes'.

He argued that over 50 per cent of those due for settlement 'are not working, have not worked and in all probability will never, ever work', projecting £234 billion in savings—four times the defence budget—though the figure stems from a disputed Centre for Policy Studies report.

Farage clarified there would be no retrospective changes to citizenship. However, exemptions for EU settled status holders dilute the policy's scope, affecting 770,000 Universal Credit claimants. On X, Farage posted a video outlining his vision: 'We must prioritise UK citizens', emphasising reduced welfare for foreign nationals under Reform rule.

The proposal spares EU migrants but hits non-EU arrivals hard, forcing re-applications and risking family separations without clear implementation timelines.

Critics Warn of NHS Meltdown and Windrush Repeat

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey lambasted the scheme, stating 'Nigel Farage has not clearly thought this through. He has not worked out the impact on red tape or on taxes. He has not realised that lots of these people have made their lives here, contributing to businesses, to the health service.'

Royal College of Nursing chief Nicola Ranger called the threat to migrant nurses 'abhorrent beyond words', warning services would 'cease to function' without them. Labour's Anna Turley flagged the policy's flaws, noting Reform admits it excludes EU nationals, undermining claims of broad coverage.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves dismissed the savings as having 'no basis in reality', while SNP's Pete Wishart deemed it 'desperate and despicable'. Sunder Katwala of British Future decried revoking settled status as 'morally wrong', foreseeing legal chaos akin to the Windrush scandal.

Immigration Stats Expose Flaws in Reform's Case

Official figures show 133.4 million arrivals to the UK in the year ending March 2025, with 56 per cent British nationals. Net migration stood at 431,000 for December 2024—down from 873,000 in 2022, but still straining resources. The fee for indefinite leave to remain rose to £3,029 per applicant in April 2025, underscoring the administrative burden that Farage's renewable visa system would amplify through repeated reapplications.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp labelled it 'half-baked and unworkable', stripping enforcement details from borrowed Tory ideas. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called the deportation of legal residents 'unacceptable', as London—home to many migrants—braces for economic fallout in key sectors like care. Reform's Zia Yusuf hinted at EU negotiations on welfare but dodged salary specifics, fuelling doubts over viability.

Britain's Migration Future

Farage's move to axe indefinite leave to remain has deepened the political divide, pitting Reform UK's migration crackdown against warnings of chaos in 2025. With 'Boriswave' blamed for benefit pressures, critics urge a focus on integration rather than division.

As Labour's conference looms, the debate sharpens: will Britain choose control or compassion for its evolving immigration landscape?