The Taliban has said it is "ready and willing" to work with Nigel Farage and accept deported Afghans after the Reform UK leader unveiled his deportation plans today.
A senior Taliban official spokesman said they would "receive and embrace" whoever Mr Farage sends.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the spokesman in Kabul said: "We are prepared to work with anyone who can help end the struggles of Afghan refugees, as we know many of them do not have a good life abroad.
"We will not take money to accept our own people, but we welcome aid to support newcomers, since there are challenges in accommodating and feeding those returning from Iran and Pakistan.
"Afghanistan is home to all Afghans, and the Islamic Emirate is determined to make this country a place where everyone - those already here, those returning, or those being sent back from the West by Mr Farage or anyone else - can live with dignity."
Mr Farage announced plans today to deport up to 600,000 illegal migrants in five years of a Reform Government, with the party setting aside £2billion to be used as an incentive for foreign Governments.
The Reform UK leader said they would send illegal immigrants to multiple countries, including Iran and Eritrea.
Nigel Farage calls the ECHR 'outdated' as he pushes for UK to leave the pact
Nigel Farage has called for the UK to leave the "outdated" European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) as he pushes Britain to leave the pact.
Speaking on GB News, Mr Farage said: "I don't think we can stop the boats unless we start deporting. All the while, we are part of the ECHR and its convention is written into British law via the Human Rights Act 1998.
"I will admit, there are difficulties because Tony Blair wrote it into the Peace Agreement in Northern Ireland. He wrote it into the Devolution Agreements. There would certainly be for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales a fair bit of work to be done.
"I still believe it is the right thing to do. Some would say, 'Why would you leave this? It was set up at the end of WWII to prevent things like the Holocaust from ever happening again'.
"I wouldn't for a moment doubt that it was so well intentioned back in the 1940s. I now just think it is totally outdated in every single way."
WATCH HIS FULL MONOLOGUE ABOVE
Rupert Lowe says there is a 'serious lack of ambition' with Reform's deportation policy
Rupert Lowe says there is a 'serious lack of ambition' with Reform's deportation policy
| GETTYRupert Lowe has hit out at Reform's deportation policy, saying "there is a serious lack of ambition".
The MP for Greater Yarmouth said on X: "Farage pledged to deport just 600,000 illegal immigrants in his first term if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We have roughly two million illegal migrants from alien cultures roaming the streets of Britain. It will be far worse in 2029.
"The aim to deport 600,000 over one Parliament in all likelihood addresses far less than half of that problem. It's simply not good enough."
Mr Lowe detailed several points from Reform's plans, criticising their targets and methodology.
He added: "Reform's pitiful effort today sadly falls far short. Every illegal migrant must go. Not some. Not 500k. All. This must be the non-negotiable aim. Real mass deportations."
Downing Street accuses Russia of being 'disrespectful' to Ukraine peace talks
Russia has been accused of being "disrespectful" to the peace process in the war in Ukraine.
Number 10 said Vladimir Putin had been deliberately stalling progress, less than two weeks after meeting with Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "I think Russia cannot be more blatant about dragging its feet and stalling the peace talks.
"Ukraine has long been clear it's willing to enter the… peace talks. But we continue to see Russia and President Putin prevaricate, these unrealistic asks and delaying tactics to ensure these bilaterals aren't going ahead."
Kemi Badenoch refuses to confirm if Conservatives would set up returns agreement with Taliban-run Afghanistan
Kemi Badenoch refuses to confirm if Conservatives would set up returns agreement with Taliban-run Afghanistan
| PAConservative leader Kemi Badenoch refused to confirm whether her party would pursue a returns agreement with Taliban-run Afghanistan.
Speaking to the PA news agency, she said: "We need to make sure that anyone who comes to our country illegally is deported. We have experience in Government of finding some of these deportations difficult.
"That is why we had the third country deterrent, which was the Rwanda plan. Some countries will not cooperate.
"But from what Reform has announced today, they haven't done the thinking, they've just copied our homework, but they don't understand the reasons behind them."
Sir Keir Starmer says his 'number one priority is to put an end' to illegal migration
Sir Keir Starmer says his 'number one priority is to put an end' to illegal migration
|X/KEIR_STARMER
Sir Keir Starmer said his "number one priority is to put an end" to illegal migration.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote: "Illegal migration is a business run by organised criminal gangs with no regard for human life. My number one priority is to put an end to this vile trade.
"Under our nationwide crackdown, raids and arrests are already up 50 per cent. I won't stop until we secure our borders."
Mr Starmer posted photos of migrants facing detention for entering the country illegally.
His posts follow Nigel Farage announcing his deportation plans.
Nigel Farage warned he will face internal leaks and sabotage 10 times worse than Boris Johnson did
Nigel Farage will face internal leaks and sabotage “10 times worse” than Boris Johnson if Reform UK wins the next election, a former No10 chief of staff has warned.
Lord Udny-Lister, former Chief of Staff to Boris Johnson in Downing Street and a Conservative peer, said the Reform UK leader risks being undone by the same kind of leaking and backstabbing that plagued the Johnson government, but more widespread and politically damaging.
“Boris suffered from weak Cabinet Ministers; it will be 10 times worse for Farage,” Lord Lister said.
Nigel Farage accuses Keir Starmer of 'colluding' with Emmanuel Macron to 'support illegal migrant invasion'
Nigel Farage has claimed Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron were "colluding" to support the illegal migration invasion of the country as he outlines his party's plan to tackle the crisis if elected in the next General Election.
The Reform UK Leader is announcing the plan at an aircraft hangar in Oxfordshire with Zia Yusuf as he unveils the ways his party will crack down on small boat crossings.
He announced that the public had enough of the issue, saying: "We need to leave the EHCR ... no ifs, no buts".
Angela Rayner slammed for 'staggering hypocrisy' as public foots bill for deputy PM's second home
Angela Rayner has been accused of "staggering hypocrisy" over taxpayers having to front council tax for her government-owned home in London.
The bill for the flat in Admiralty House is paid for by the public as it is the Deputy Prime Minister's second home.
Ms Rayner's primary residence is listed in her Ashton-under-Lyne constituency, while her office is 200 miles away in London.
Reform UK will ready draft legislation ahead of generation election as part of plans to tackle illegal immigration - Richard Tice
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice said the party will be readying legislation in draft form ahead of the next general election
|GB NEWS
Richard Tice has said Reform UK will be readying legislation in draft before the general election so it is ready to implement its plans to tackle illegal immigration.
The Deputy Leader told GB News: "We will be getting legislation ready in draft form, using our own lawyers and barristers not the civil servants, way before the election so we are ready and if we get a decent majority - and that is what we are saying to people - give us the big majority so we can get this through the Houses of Parliament rapidly.
"We will work harder and faster than everyone else. We do have a track record of being able to get stuff done because we come from the world of business and we are doers - we are not wafflers."
Lords risk being sacked if they fail to turn up to house
Lords who fail to turn up and participate in the House of Lords could be forced to resign under an overhaul by Labour.
Members of the Lords will be monitored with participation in debates, vote on legislation, sitting in committees and other contributions.
Those who are found not to be participating in their duty as peers will be made to give up their seat in the chamber.
It is part of a push by Sir Keir Starmer's ministers to cut the size of the unelected body in the House of Lords by a fifth.
What is also included in a retirement age of 80 which would force out almost 200 members straight away.
Conservative members significantly outnumber their Labour peers in the Lords with 285 Tory peers to Labour’s 209.
It has sparked criticism that the Prime Minister is aiming to close the gap.
Kemi Badenoch claims Nigel Farage 'copied our homework'
Kemi Badenoch has claimed in a post on X that Nigel "Farage's 'immigration plan' looks v familiar".
"We (Tories) set out our Deportation Bill months ago," she said.
"He's copied our homework but missed the lesson."
Ms Badenoch said the Tories will "show you not just the answers, but our working".
"That's how we'll build trust with the public and get real results," she added.
Nigel Farage delivers verdict on Angela Rayner's £800k second home row
Nigel Farage comments on Angela Rayner's second home row
|YOUTUBE
When asked about the row surrounding the Deputy Prime Minister's second home, Nigel Farage said "isn't it funny that the residence that Angela Rayner is living in in London is now coming under criticism from James Cleverly".
"He wasn't complaining when Michael Gove lived there," Mr Farage said before raising his hands.
"So it's just party politics, and if Angela Rayner has been tremendously successful in business, and managed to acquire a property portfolio and done it properly, then jolly good luck to her."
Reform UK backs two-tier housing if Britons are prioritised
Nigel Farage said he supported a "two-tier approach from Government" when deciding who should receiving social housing and benefits.
Asked whether Britons should be prioritised for social housing, the Reform UK Leader confirmed he did.
"We are opposed to two-tier justice within our country, we are opposed to two-tier policing ... we are opposed to two-tier sentencing," Mr Farage said.
"We've just seen Lucy Connolly coming out of prison as Ricky Jones walks free."
He however admitted that "I know the circumstances are different".
"We are pro a two-tier approach from Government, when it's deciding who are the priorities for housing for benefits for any of these things," Mr Farage said.
"Is it British-born people, or is it people swanning in from all over the world And we are pro-British people in this country having more rights than those that have recently come. Yes."
Women and children would be detained under Reform UK's migration policy
Nigel Farage confirmed that women and children would also be detained and deported as part of his party's plan to tackle illegal migration.
But, Mr Farage said that unaccompanied children proved a "much more complicated" issue.
He told media: "Women and children, everybody on arrival will be detained, and I've accepted already that how we deal with children is a much more complicated and difficult issue."
"But the people protesting outside the Bell Hotel and at 30 migrant hotels on Saturday around the country weren't doing it because of the few children coming," Mr Farage said.
"They were doing it because over three quarters of those that come are young undocumented males who come from cultures that are entirely different from ours, who are very unlikely to assimilate into our community, who pose a risk to women and girls, and some of them, I’m afraid, pose a risk to national security.”
Jeremy Corbyn's 'Your Party' claims 'need for a people-powered movement has never been greater'
The naming of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's 'Your Party' will be "chosen" by its members in a newsletter which claimed the "far right is on the rise".
"When politicians scapegoat migrants instead of boosting working class living standards, and when our communities are under attack, the need for a people-powered movement has never been greater," the party said.
"Across the country, ordinary people are standing up — against racism, against division, and for dignity and peace.
"That spirit of everyday decency and resistance is exactly what Your Party is about."
The party further added: "Like everything else about the party, its name will be chosen by the people who make it: the members".
"It should be instantly recognisable, rooted in our values, have a broad appeal and speak to the hope we carry in common."
Reform UK prepared to pay Taliban to accept deportations
Zia Yusuf
|GETTY
Nigel Farage said a Reform UK Government would aim to negotiate with the Taliban to accept the return of migrants who have entered the UK illegally.
Zia Yusuf announced the plan, telling the BBC: "We have a £2billion budget to offer countries".
The party’s head of department of government efficiency said the figure was "certainly not a drop in the ocean" for countries like Afghanistan and Eritrea which are two countries "at the top of the list of boat crossings".
Mr Yusuf said it was "quite reasonable" that the country would pay the Taliban in order to secure an agreement.
"Again, British people have had enough of their goodwill being taken advantage of," he said.
“The notion that Afghans top the list in terms of foreign nationals crossing the Channel illegally, the majority of them fighting-age males, into this country while this country gives £151million in aid to Afghanistan? We don’t think that’s fair.”
Reform UK would revoke Refugee Convention for five years
If elected at the next General Election, Reform UK would revoke the 1951 Refugee Convention for five years.
Reform Leader Nigel Farage claimed it can be "used by lawyers in this country to prevent deportations".
He told media: “We will, for a five year period, disapply the 1951 Refugee Convention and any other barriers that can be used by lawyers in this country to prevent deportations, to prevent the right thing from happening.
“We will create a legal duty for the Home Secretary to remove those that come illegally, and crucially, we will detain all illegal migrants who come, and we will do so immediately," he added.
Nigel Farage's 'no nonsense' plan hailed as the 'only way' to sort Britain's migrant crisis
Nigel Farage's "no nonsense" plan for tackling illegal migration has been backed by Piers Pottinger, as he declared it is the "only way" to tackle the crisis.
Speaking to GB News, the political commentator detailed the Reform UK leader's policy to leave the ECHR and repeal the Human Rights Act and stated he is "saying what the majority of the electorate want to hear".
Detailing his plan, Mr Farage wrote: "No longer will these malign influences be allowed to frustrate deportations. The planes will take off, and plenty of them at that.
"The time has come to put this country first. This is all a question of priorities. Is Keir Starmer on the side of the British people, national security and protecting women and girls – or is he on the side of outdated international treaties and human rights lawyers?"
Zia Yusuf defends 'brilliant' campaign as patriots continue to hoist flags across the nation
Mr Yusuf told GB News that the flag row has become an 'outrageous' situation | GB NEWSZia Yusuf has declared that Britons are "sick and tired" of "every other flag" being flown with "enormous pride" apart from our own national flags.
The Head of Reform UK's Department of Government Efficiency told GB News that the Union Jack and St George's Cross are "looked down upon" compared to other flags such as the pride flag.
After mass protests over the use of migrant hotels, a patriotic campaign has swept the country with Britons hoisting the national flags on lamp posts and residential areas across the nation.
Discussing the campaigns on GB News, Mr Yusuf stated: "It's really interesting, as people brilliantly go out and raise flags across the country, they're being told 'why are you so focused on flags? Flags don't matter'.
"People in this country are sick and tired of the fact that every other flag is flown with with enormous pride, including the pride flag, the Palestinian flag, all sorts of flags of other countries and political activists."
Home Secretary approves 'special arrangements' for students from Gaza to come to UK
Yvette Cooper has approved "special arrangements" for Gazan students to study on scholarships at universities in the UK.
The Home Office said it will include Chevening scholars undertaking biometric checks in a "third country" before arriving in the UK.
But, the Israeli government will need to agree that each person on the scheme can leave Gaza.
"Careful work" will be needed to get the students out of Gaza.
A Home Office source told Sky News the situation remained "complex and challenging".
"But the home secretary has made it crystal clear to her officials that she wants no stone unturned in efforts to ensure there are arrangements in place to allow this cohort of talented students to take up their places at UK universities as soon as possible," the source said.
Passengers could be banned from playing loud music on public transport
The Conservatives have called for "swift justice for those who make people's lives a misery" by playing loud music on buses and tran.
The party said it would introduce on-the-spot fines to tackle the issue.
Under the plans, byelaws that already protect passengers on trains would be further enforced, while the equivalent would be brought in for those on buses.
There is currently no ban on music being played out loud.
British Transport Police or train operators enforce the current rules with the Tories saying it will ensure they have a legal duty to make sure the laws are strictly followed.
Nigel Farage labels illegal immigration as a 'scourge' on UK
Nigel Farage | GETTY Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has labelled illegal immigration as a scourge on the UK.
He said it has affected the country on a "historic and unprecedented" scale, pledging that his party will detain and deport people coming into the UK illegally.
Mr Farage said will propose significant legal changes and question whether Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was on the side of human rights lawyers or the British people.
He said Reform has promised to leave the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to make deportations easier, saying his party will repeal the Human Rights Act.