Reform Spokesman Zia Yusuf Facesโ Heated Exchange with Migrants on BBC Question Time
LONDON – A BBC Question Time panel descended into a furious debate last night as Reform UK spokesman Ziaโข Yusuf defended the party’s hardline immigration โฃpolicies, clashing โdirectly with migrants who arrived in theโค UK via small โboats. The exchange centered on Reform’s pledge to deport โall illegal migrants, a policy championed by potential โleader Nigel Farage.
Theโค discussion began when hostโฃ Fiona Bruce questionedโ yusuf about the potentialโข deportation of individuals like Ashraf,โ a migrant featured โon the program. Yusuf initially โคstated he lacked specific knowledge of Ashraf’s case, butโฃ pivoted to broader statistics, asserting, “If youโข areโฃ entering from a war zone, it is indeed generally women and children first and the vast majority of the people coming to this country, via the English Channel, illegally, are men.” He emphasized his reliance on “statistics”โ and “data” in policyโ formulation,stating,”I think that is a sensible way to formulate policyโฆand we should use language clearly โคand accurately.”
Pressed by Bruce on Farage’s commitment to deport all illegal โฃmigrants, Yusufโ affirmed, “Absolutely.If you are inโข this country illegallyโฆifโ nigel Farage is โour next โPrimeโข Ministerโฆyou will be deportedโฃ back to the country from which you came.” He defended his use of the term “invasion” to describe โคthe โinflux of migrants,citing the dictionary definition as “an unwanted incursion into a space of land,” and notingโ that 170,000 people have arrived from countries including Syria,Afghanistan,and Iraq.
The debate intensifiedโ when a second migrant, โฃoriginally from Iran, spoke โemotionally about his four-month-old daughter, born in the UK. “She’s growing โupโค here, learning EnglishโฆShe won’t know how โto read โขand write โขFarsi, or even speak โฃfarsi,” he said, questioning what woudl happen to his daughter under โa Reform government.
Yusufโ responded sharply, drawingโข a distinctionโ between legal and illegal โimmigration.โ “My โparents โcameโฃ here legally. They did โnot come here illegally. โคThere’s a clear dividing line in Britishโ politics,” he stated, adding, “Do you want to voteโฃ for a party that will prioritise the interests of foreign nationals who โขcame โคhere illegally, orโค do you want to vote for a party that is going to prioritise britishโ citizens who work hardโฆand โtoil to pay taxes?”
The exchange sparked further disagreement, with Liberal Democrat’sโ Daisy Cooper challenging yusuf’s โคframing of the issue. A heated argument then erupted over benefits โฃfor migrants, with Yusuf citing a ยฃ10 billion Global Credit bill for foreign nationals last โฃyear.green Party leader Zack Polanski claimed reform intends to cut ยฃ49โฃ a week from asylum seeker support.
Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary Kieranโ Mullan dismissed a claim byโ Cooper that Brexit was hindering returns, pointing out that โsimilar โฃissues were โoccurring in Italy and โฃSpain, and that the UK had actually overseen more returns under existing agreements.