Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says the United Kingdom should not accept new Iranian refugees, arguing instead for political change in Iran that would encourage expatriates to return home.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Britain must not become a destination for refugees fleeing conflict in Iran, arguing that long-term efforts should focus on supporting political change in Tehran so expatriates already living in the United Kingdom would voluntarily return to their homeland.
Farage made the remarks while discussing the future of Iran and the broader implications of escalating tensions in the Middle East. In comments shared on social media, he said Britain “simply can’t” afford to take additional refugees from foreign conflicts and instead should pursue a strategy that would make Iran attractive enough for its diaspora to return, as seen in remarks circulated online here.
Referring to what he described as the “wonderful Persian people,” Farage said that if a new government replaced the current leadership in Tehran, “what you would actually see is a lot of people living in Britain who came from Iran originally would go back.” He added, “I’m not suggesting [they should be forced to go back, but] there are Persians here who came from 1979, from the time when the Mullahs took over. And I know many of those people that I’ve met would love to go back to their home country, but away from the barbarity of this regime.”
Farage has previously voiced support for exiled Iranian figure Shah Reza Pahlavi, whose social media presence remains active here. He framed his comments as a call to “help” Iran turn a political corner rather than increase refugee intake in Britain. He also said refugees from regional conflicts should be “housed in the Middle East.”
Building on those remarks, Reform UK colleague Robert Jenrick said Monday evening that a Reform-led government would have permitted U.S. forces to use British airbases in support of American operations targeting Iran. In an interview with GB News shared on social media here, Jenrick said: “They are our longest standing ally, it is important we are a reliable ally and not one that waxes and wanes, or puts a vague sense of international law over those longstanding relationships.
“There will be times when we need the United States for our defence, so we should support them when they want to take action.”
Farage also criticized Western policy toward Iran dating back to 2015 and praised President Donald Trump’s recent actions. Speaking at a press conference, Farage said:
“…our policy towards Iran has been wrong, wrong, wrong ever since 2015, and I’ve said so consistently over the years. The JCPOA deal, so approved of by President Obama, the European Union… has been an act of appeasement that has freed up tens of billions of dollars [for Tehran] most of which has been used by the Iranian regime to back terrorist organisations right across the world. Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, just naming a few.
There are of course big risks with the American and Israeli actions, but equally enormous risks in doing nothing, allowing Iran to go on funding these extremist factions, attacking shipping, and doing everything they can to build a nuclear bomb. I do believe the American President and the Israelis are right in what they are doing and the inactions of our Prime Minister frankly pathetic.
To say to the Americans they can not use UK bases to Diego Garcia to carry out their missions is something the President has responded to already by saying he’s ‘deeply disappointed’. I suspect for once from Trump, that is actually a mild understatement. And I do believe that Starmer’s actions don’t just threaten the Special Relationship but probably he did pose a major threat to NATO.”
President Trump separately criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s response to the Iran conflict, describing his initial refusal to permit use of British bases as obstructive and slow to adjust as events escalated.
Starmer has acknowledged that Iran has attempted operations on British soil, stating that domestic security services had disrupted more than 20 “potentially lethal” plots linked to Tehran over the past year. However, he maintained there was no legal basis for Britain to participate directly in military action.
The debate underscores widening political divisions in Britain over foreign policy, immigration and the country’s alignment with U.S. military operations as tensions with Iran continue.
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