Nigel Farage erupted after new analysis found that Channel migrants now outnumber the British Armed Forces. Research by Migration Watch found that 181,326 people have travelled to the UK on small boats since 2018.
The total is higher than the 180,779 personnel in the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force. In a post on X, Reform UK leader Mr Farage said: “There are now more Channel migrants in the UK than we have active military personnel. This is a national security emergency, and I have said so for years.”
Migration Watch’s data only includes arrivals up to September 7 and hundreds more have made the dangerous crossing since then.
Alp Mehmet, Chairman of Migration Watch, said: “Military age men are pouring into Britain across the Channel.
“Enforcing a border is the most basic responsibility of a government, but Keir Starmer has failed to do even that.
“Illegal Channel crossings are now a major political crisis, and pose a real and present threat to our national security.”
The latest Home Office figures show 188 migrants travelled to the UK on small boats yesterday, with this year on track to be a record.
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to smash the gangs behind the operations in order to get a grip on the problem and he has struck a one in, one out returns deal with France.
Asked yesterday on Sky News why the number of small boat crossings had gone up under the Labour Government, Labour MP Mike Tapp said: “We’ve inherited open borders, which means it’s not a quick fix.
“When you’ve inherited a system that had 150,000 crossing in just three or four years, it’s unacceptable.”