Fact Check: Reform UK’s £500k Bed Cost & £12bn Plan
Reform UK pledges to open migrant detention centres in Green‑voting areas, citing a £500,000 cost per bed and a £12 billion total for 24,000 places. We verify the cost claims and note the unverifiable earlier pledge.
A former military base at Manston, used as a detention and processing centre for migrants who arrived in the UK by small boat - it is seen from overhead, as a series of interlinked white buildings surrounded by fields and trees
TL;DR
The claim that a closed‑facility bed costs about £500,000 is true. Multiplying that by 24,000 beds yields roughly £12 billion, which is arithmetically correct. The assertion that Reform UK previously pledged to build centres in remote areas and detain 24,000 people within 18 months is unverifiable.
Claim
Reform UK has pledged to open migrant detention centres in areas that vote for the Green Party, stating each bed would cost around £500,000 and that 24,000 such beds would cost about £12 billion. The party also said it had previously promised to build removal centres in remote parts of the country and detain up to 24,000 people within 18 months.
Evidence
The Ministry of Justice’s 2023‑24 report lists the capital cost for a new closed‑facility place at roughly £500,000. Home Office policy notes that immigration removal centres are built to the same closed design standard as prisons, implying the same per‑bed cost. Multiplying £500,000 by 24,000 gives £12,000,000,000. A search of Reform UK’s official policy documents, press releases, and reputable news outlets finds no public statement matching the claim about a prior remote‑area pledge and the 18‑month detention target.
Verdict
- Cost per bed: True - Total cost for 24,000 beds: Mostly true (the calculation is correct) - Previous pledge to build in remote areas and detain 24,000 within 18 months: Unverifiable
Analysis
The per‑bed figure rests on official government cost data, giving high confidence. The arithmetic for the £12 billion total is straightforward and matches the verified unit cost. However, the earlier commitment lacks any verifiable source; without documentation or contemporaneous reporting, it cannot be confirmed. Watch for any detailed policy release from Reform UK or updated cost guidance from the Home Office that could clarify the party’s detention plans.
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