GMB Ignites as Susanna Reid Grills Reform UK’s Deportation Plan — A Live Exchange That Left Viewers Divided and the Studio Tense
She asked how they’d identify 600,000 people — and the answer wasn’t what anyone expected. Within seconds, the debate turned from policy to something far more personal
Susanna Reid compared Nigel Farage to Donald Trump as she interviewed a Reform UK minister about the migrant crisis
Presenter Susanna Reid quizzed Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf on the party’s promises surrounding the migrant crisis if they get into power in the next election. Reform UK’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency appeared on the ITV show to discuss Nigel Farage’s proposed plans.
The politician has suggested that he will follow in the footsteps of America’s Donald Trump and deliver mass deportation if he is elected, pledging to solve the migrant crisis once and for all. The party pledged that it would be prepared to deport 600,000 migrants over five years if it won power at the next election. On GMB, Susanna asked Mr Yusuf: “How on earth do you establish who the 600,000 are that you are going to deport?” She went on to add: “We have seen over in the States, and we know that you sort of compare this policy to Trump, but people get caught up in it… Without a digital ID and without people having passports, how do you establish who the 600,000 illegal immigrants are?”
He replied, hitting back at Susanna as he said: “Firstly, I’m not sure who you are speaking to, but we have moved up around three to four points in the polls that have come out since we announced Operation Restoring Justice.”
The politician continued as he finally touched on Susanna’s question. He said that they would need to decide who must leave the country without it impacting law-abiding citizens.
Ed Balls and Susanna Reid grilled the politician (Image: ITV)
“We need to change the legislation,” he explained. “One of the massive problems we have at the moment is that when deportations are attempted, they are stopped by judges because of the European Court of Human Rights.”
He added that the current Labour government are “not willing to leave that” but even if they did “it would not be enough”.
Mr Yusuf said: “We then need to disapply some of these international treaties, at least on a temporary basis in the UK… And then, what we also say Susanna, is that anyone who comes into the country illegally will never be granted asylum. End of story.”