UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Nigel Farage called Britain “in peril” after witnessing French authorities escort a migrant boat to UK waters, slamming the £800m deal as a “farce.”
As reported by GB News, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned Britain is “in peril” after witnessing a migrant boat cross the Channel this morning.
He observed with concern as a UK Border Force vessel stood by for a migrant handover from the French navy.
What did Nigel Farage say about Britain’s £800m deal with France?
Nigel Farage slammed the migrant handover as a “farce”, highlighting the £800m Britain has paid France to tackle Channel crossings.
He said, “This is a classic day in the English Channel. Over the last five years, when the weather’s on a red day, you’ve got a migrant boat.”
The Reform leader stated, “And we’ve seen it through the binoculars, there’s about 70 people on board being escorted all the way over by the French Navy. And behind us we have Border Force sitting on a 12 mile line waiting for the handover. We’ve paid £800million to the French, and this is the farce that goes on.”
He criticised Keir Starmer’s government, admitting the UK is itself responsible for the surge in migrant crossings, not just France.
Mr Farage siad, “You’d need 10,000 troops on the beach to stop any of these boats taking off. And we’ve got to be honest about this, we can be upset with the French, but it’s our fault. It’s our fault. You might as well have a sign on the White Cliffs of Dover which says ‘everyone welcome’. No one gets deported, and I think we have to go further than we’ve ever gone before.”
The Reform UK leader urged the government to deport illegal migrants upon arrival, warning Britain is “in peril” as they move freely across the country.
He said, “I don’t think these young, undocumented males that arrive today or any other day should be allowed to freely walk the streets of our country. I think they’ve got to be detained in secure accommodation. Because, frankly, we are putting our nation and our people in peril.”
Reacting to interruptions from MPs during PMQs, Mr Farage said, “They can try and shout me down, but this Parliament is out of touch with the majority of the British people.”
The Refrom leader added, “They are outraged by the unfairness of this, the cost of this, they’re beginning to link some of these young men with the crime wave that we’re seeing in the country, and it’s not acceptable. We cannot have people coming in and within a couple of days, walking our streets, working for Deliveroo or whatever else.”
While criticising France, Mr Farage said, “I was mackerel fishing earlier, and it feels like the fish in our waters are French, but the illegal migrants are left to us.”
He added, “We’ve given them fish for a further 12 years, we’ve paid them £800million, we can see right now behind us, a French naval vessel is escorting them in, this is ridiculous. We should be demanding a refund.”
What did Macron say about UK-France efforts on smuggling?
French President Macron said Britain and France share a united stance against human trafficking. He stressed that tackling illegal immigration is a shared duty among EU nations.
The French president stated, “We share the same resolve to fight against illegal criminal gangs with strong coordination with other EU states. The ministers have worked on that. France is the final point before entry into the UK. But these men and women… who are exploded by these smugglers, we must work with entry point countries in Europe to stem these entry points.”
He added, “We have common resolve in fighting this trafficking, protecting our people and the men and women from these smugglers and encourage all countries that have a co-responsibility.”
Illegal migrants in the UK in 2025
- 44,125 people entered the UK irregularly by March 2025 – up 14%.
- 86% (38,023) came via small boats – a 22% rise from 2024.
- Most came from Afghanistan (16%), Syria (12%), and Eritrea (12%).
- Albanian arrivals dropped to just 626 due to UK-Albania deal.
- 95% of boat arrivals applied for asylum.
- Since 2018, 139,843 asylum claims made; 77,191 decided.