Taliban Expresses Willingness to Accept UK Deportees Amid Farage Plans

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party has unveiled a plan to deport up to 600,000 illegal migrants over five years, including creating detention facilities for 24,000 people, and intends to strike deals with countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, and Eritrea to facilitate returns. The Taliban have expressed they are 'ready and willing' to accept deported Afghans, emphasizing they would not take money directly but would welcome aid to support returnees, and suggested it might be easier to negotiate with Farage than with the current UK government. Farage’s proposals involve potential payments or aid incentives to foreign governments, with Reform UK’s officials describing these as reasonable given existing UK aid payments, though the UK government does not recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate authority. While Farage’s plans have sparked criticism from human rights groups and political opponents, Downing Street has not ruled out deportation agreements with the Taliban and other regimes, maintaining an open stance on various options to address the asylum crisis. Labour has dismissed Reform’s deportation strategy as unworkable, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasizing practical action to manage migration pressures rather than returning to failed past solutions. The debate highlights deep divisions over immigration policy, with concerns about the legality, ethics, and feasibility of mass deportations and cooperation with hardline regimes.