UK Green Party politician Zack Polanski is facing scrutiny over a proposal to provide £19 billion [1] in taxpayer-funded handouts to illegal migrants.

The proposal surfaces during a period of intense debate over border security and immigration in Britain. If implemented, the scale of the funding would represent a significant shift in how the state manages undocumented arrivals and social welfare.

Broadcaster Esther Krakue discussed the plan during a Sky News Australia interview on April 15, 2026. Krakue said, “Zack Polanski has been one of the most ardent advocates for open borders. He has promised £19 billion [1] worth of handouts, basically, to migrants who illegally enter Britain.”

The reported plan suggests providing a basic income to migrants who enter the UK illegally [1]. This approach aligns with an open-border stance, aiming to ensure basic financial stability for arrivals regardless of their legal status.

However, the reporting on the proposal is inconsistent across different media outlets. While some reports frame the £19 billion [1] figure as a direct annual promise from the Green Party, other coverage suggests the story emerged as a reaction to pledges made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage regarding the construction of migrant detention centres [2].

The Green Party has not issued a formal rebuttal to the specific figure mentioned by Krakue. The debate highlights a widening ideological gap between parties advocating for humanitarian-led border policies, and those pushing for stricter enforcement and detention.

““Zack Polanski has been one of the most ardent advocates for open borders.””

This controversy underscores the volatility of the UK's immigration debate ahead of potential electoral shifts. By contrasting a proposed universal basic income for migrants against Reform UK's detention center plans, the story illustrates a clash between two extreme ends of the political spectrum regarding national sovereignty and humanitarian obligations.