Nigel Farage Responds to Labour’s Handling of Migrant Increase

A spike in migrant crossings has brought criticism from Nigel Farage, who accused Labour of failing to control the borders. In a pointed six-word post on X, Farage wrote, “The invasion is getting even bigger,” following news that more than 1,000 people crossed the English Channel in small boats on September 19. According to Home Office data, 1,072 arrivals that day pushed total crossings for 2025 to 32,103, already surpassing last year’s numbers by almost 10,000.

The government recently launched a new plan with France; the UK agreed to quickly send back illegal arrivals in exchange for taking in the same number of asylum seekers through official channels. As of September 19, only three people had been returned to France under this system, far fewer than the number making the crossing each day. Farage and his supporters say these numbers prove the current approach is failing.

Farage, leading Reform UK, has called for widespread deportations and a freeze on new immigration. He pledged to remove 600,000 asylum seekers over five years if his party gets the chance.

Labour and Prime Minister Keir Starmer maintain that their agreement with France will help dismantle criminal gangs behind the crossings. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood celebrated the first successful deportation as a key step in restoring order. The policy allows British authorities to hold Channel arrivals and send them to France within two weeks, if legal challenges don’t block it.

Critics, however, highlight issues slowing the scheme. A recent High Court order halted the deportation of one man over trafficking fears. Some say these delays show deeper problems in the system.

Public reaction online has been split. Supporters of Farage want mass deportations, while others blame Brexit, which ended the UK’s ability to return people to the first safe European country they entered under EU rules. Several voices online mock the slow pace, estimating it would take hundreds of years to deport all current arrivals at this rate.

Despite spending £500 million on French patrols and adding 300 National Crime Agency officers, the number of Channel crossings continues to grow. Petitions for offshore detention camps are picking up, reflecting public frustration. The BBC recently reported that most irregular entrants this year came via the Channel, with Afghans and Eritreans among the largest groups.

Reform UK is using the situation to gain support, putting pressure on Labour in the run-up to future elections. Farage’s claims of an “invasion” have angered his opponents, with Liberal Democrats calling his proposed deportations a breach of human rights. Still, with more than 30,000 crossings by early September, many say the new policy does little to stop the flow.

As the debate sharpens, Labour insists its plan needs more time. But with crossing numbers at record highs, the pressure is building for a solution that delivers real results.