Farage warns of Channel migrant 'invasion' from countries 'with terrorism, gang culture and war zones'
24 June 2024, 16:26
Nigel Farage today warned supporters to prepare for an "invasion" of Channel migrants as he blasted the Tories' track record of controlling the UK's borders.
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The Reform UK leader's comments came as he spoke to supporters at a rally in Kent on Tuesday, slamming the current government's ability to control immigration from the top deck of a double decker bus.
As part of the address, Farage also claimed that most Channel migrants came from countries known for "terrorism ... gang culture and war zones".
It's a fire the Reform leader has stoked before, having previously spoken of a migrant "invasion" back in 2020, with leading charities criticising his remarks at the time.
On Tuesday from 9am Home Secretary James Cleverly and Labour's Yvette Cooper will go head-to-head in a live debate moderated by LBC’s Nick Ferrari. This high-stakes exchange will highlight the immigration policies of the Conservative and Labour parties and you can watch live on Global Player, the official LBC app.
Fully aware of his previous comments, Farage said: "I warned that huge numbers would come, I even said there might be an invasion, which is of course the rudest word you could possibly use in BBC land, but now 4,000 boats and 128,000 people later, it does look like it's been an invasion to me - and it's mostly young men."
Farage's comments come as Boris Johnson accused Nigel Farage of a "morally repugnant" repetition of Vladimir Putin's reasons for invading Ukraine over the weekend.
Following the former PM's comments, Mr Farage said he was not an "apologist" for the Russian president but "what I have been saying for the past 10 years is that the West has played into Putin's hands, giving him the excuse to do what he wanted to do anyway".
Speaking from Kent, Farage continued to push for tighter immigration controls, announcing: "Remember I went out four years ago, again and again, into the Channel to highlight what was going on, to say you might as well put a sign on the white cliffs of Dover saying 'everyone welcome'."
He continued: "I have no doubt that the world is in a more dangerous place right now than it's been at any point since the Cuban missile crisis over 60 years ago."
The leader used the opportunity to highlighter other pledges put forward by his party as part of Reform UK's 'contract' with voters.
"There has been virtually no debate on defence whatsoever other than a ludicrous 'we're going to bring back national service' which would only apply to 30,000 young people who would join the military for a year," Farage continued.
"A couple of years back, we would have thought war on a global scale was inconceivable but we now all, don't we, harbour that doubt and that worry at the back of our minds.
"We need 30,000 at least young men and women to join the army, get trained and stay as full-time soldiers," he added on the topic of defence.
It comes as Johnson took to X formerly known as Twitter to condemn Farage's comments on Russia as "ahistorical drivel".
