UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour administration to adopt the deportation bill proposed by the Conservatives, warning of a potential spike in citizenship claims due to rising immigration.
In a video posted on her verified X account on Saturday, Badenoch claimed that if immediate measures are not taken, about two million immigrants could become eligible for British citizenship by next year — nearly double the population of Birmingham.
She said, “From next year, two million immigrants could automatically claim British citizenship. That’s nearly twice the population of Birmingham. We’ve introduced a deportation bill because we are committed to bringing immigration down.”
The controversial bill, published on Tuesday, proposes sweeping changes to the UK’s immigration policies.
It outlines plans to deport all foreign nationals with criminal records, enforce mandatory age checks, tighten visa rules, restrict the application of the Human Rights Act in immigration cases, make asylum support repayable, and prevent anyone who depends on welfare benefits from gaining permanent residency.
Badenoch insisted that these measures are necessary to reduce the pressure on the UK’s immigration system, declaring: “Until that’s the law, we won’t fix it. Labour should adopt it now. It’s time to get tough. That’s what the Conservatives’ deportation bill delivers. Our country is a home, not a hotel.”
Her comments come amid growing political debate over immigration control and the future of UK border policy under the new Labour government.