Nigel Farage Slams “Catastrophic” £622 Billion Cost of Boris Johnson’s Immigration Wave
April 13, 2026 – criticized the “catastrophic” £622 billion cost of the immigration surge initiated under former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, warning that the UK is on the verge of shouldering an enormous economic burden.
At a press conference in Westminster today, Farage, alongside Reform UK’s Home Affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf, unveiled an investigation into what they call the “Boris wave” of immigration. The party’s findings reveal alarming projections about the financial impact of granting indefinite leave to remain (ILR) to millions of migrants.
Farage, who has long campaigned against uncontrolled immigration, expressed deep concern about the consequences of what he described as an “unprecedented” influx of migrants. He stated, “If millions are granted indefinite leave to remain in the next 18 months, we will burden ourselves with an economic weight that, frankly, will be disastrous for the country.”
The former Brexit leader pointed out the gap between the Conservative Party’s rhetoric on reducing net migration and their actions, accusing the party of backtracking on its promises to lower immigration figures. “I think we all genuinely believed that Boris Johnson would do something about this issue, but the reality is, he did the opposite with his ‘Boris wave,'” said Farage.
Rising Immigration and Its Financial Implications
Farage’s comments come in the wake of a growing immigration crisis. From January 2021 to June 2024, the UK government issued a staggering 3.8 million long-term visas, contributing to a net migration of 2.6 million. According to the Reform UK report, the total cost of granting ILR to those eligible from the “Boris wave” could reach £622 billion, more than three times the annual NHS budget and ten times the UK’s annual defense spending.
This financial burden is exacerbated by the ongoing increase in the number of immigrants from the “Boris wave” who are now eligible for British citizenship. Yusuf warned that the economic consequences would soon become evident. “The impact of Boris’s immigration wave is about to explode financially. His legacy will only fully be revealed in the years to come,” he said.
Calls for Immediate Action
Zia Yusuf further emphasized that the immigration policy under Johnson had fundamentally altered the cultural and financial landscape of the UK. “This has permanently changed the financial trajectory of the country. It has permanently altered the lives of the British people against their wishes,” Yusuf remarked.
The report’s authors argue that the government should act immediately to halt the process of granting ILR to millions of incoming migrants, citing that failure to do so would result in long-term financial strain for households across the UK. According to their estimates, the average British household could bear a cost of £20,000 annually for decades to come due to this wave of immigration.
In a direct message to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Yusuf urged the government not to backtrack on proposed reforms to the ILR system. He acknowledged the government’s understanding of the impending financial crisis, urging the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to implement measures that would delay granting ILR to those migrants.
“The government must recognize that this ticking time bomb is about to explode. Immediate action is needed to prevent a fiscal disaster,” Yusuf concluded.
