By David Wood, CEO of GSA Global Ltd, and former Director General of Immigration Enforcement at the Home Office.

Immigration continues to dominate public debate in the UK. Rising numbers, public concern, and political pressure have placed reform firmly at the centre of the national conversation. While I will not comment on the political rights or wrongs of specific proposals, it is important to consider the scale of the logistical, economic, and humanitarian challenges involved. 

Why UK Immigration Reform Matters for Security and Stability 

Immigration is not just a social or political issue, it directly affects national security, workforce stability, and economic resilience. Proposals to cancel all existing leave to remain and require individuals to reapply under new conditions, such as a salary threshold of around £60,000, would represent a seismic shift in policy. 

The Impact of Salary Thresholds on Care, Agriculture, and Hospitality 

Such measures would have immediate consequences for key sectors. Care, agriculture, and hospitality (industries heavily reliant on lower-wage labour) would struggle to fill roles. The result could be labour shortages, rising costs, and knock-on effects for essential services and supply chains. 

Enforcement Capacity: Can the UK Realistically Remove 600,000 People? 

Some proposals go further, calling for the removal of 600,000 people over five years. To put this in perspective, the highest number of enforced removals in a single year stands at around 15,000. Scaling this up more than tenfold would require: 

  •  A major increase in enforcement officers. 
  • Secure detention facilities with capacities ten times today’s levels. 
  • A significant rise in caseworkers within the Home Office to process applications and appeals. 
  • Regular charter planes 
  • Third party countries who well accept immigrants who cannot be removed from the UK. 
  • Tackling the judicial system 

The gap between ambition and existing capability is considerable. 

The Hidden Costs of Detention, Charter Flights, and Casework 

Detention space alone would need to rise dramatically, with suggestions of 24,000 secure places. Such facilities are expensive to build and operate, and must be secure to avoid risks. 

Removals themselves present further challenges. Medium-distance charter flights, for example, typically cost around £300,000 each due to the high number of escorts required which severely limits passenger capacity. International cooperation adds another layer of complexity, as many countries are reluctant to accept returns. 

These costs are in addition to the administrative burden on Home Office staff. Recruiting, training, and sustaining the number of caseworkers and enforcement officers required would be an enormous task in itself. 

Special Visa Schemes 

The UK has offered tailored visa schemes for Ukrainians and Hong Kong citizens, many of whom have been granted indefinite leave to remain. Under sweeping reform, the future of these groups would need to be clarified. If treated the same as others, there could be serious humanitarian and diplomatic implications. 

Immigration Reform Must Balance Policy with Practicality 

Immigration reform is a legitimate subject for debate. There is significant public concern, and government must find a balance between control, security, and fairness. Current capacity is entirely inadequate to meet the challenges. However, the operational and financial realities of such an uplift proposed cannot be ignored. Reform have projected significant cost savings in the medium term, these will need testing. 

Large-scale removals and sweeping eligibility changes would require vast resources, international cooperation, and a long-term commitment to infrastructure and manpower. Without these, proposals risk being unworkable in practice.