The Royal Parks have issued a response to claims by Nigel Farage that migrants are stealing and eating swans. The Reform UK leader lleged that Eastern European migrants are taking swans from the parks in Britain after videos have gone viral on social media in recent years. Footage appears to show migrants with swans and geese. However, these have not been proved.
Speaking on Nick Ferrari’s LBC show, Mr Farage said: “If I said to you that swans were being eaten in Royal Parks in this country, that carp were being taken out of ponds and being eaten, by people who come from cultures that have a different … would you agree it’s happening here?” The Royal Parks have quickly responded to the claims from the Reform UK leader.
A Royal Parks charity spokesperson said: “We’ve not had any incidents reported to us of people killing or eating swans in London’s eight Royal Parks. Our wildlife officers work closely with the Swan Sanctuary to ensure the welfare of the swans across the parks.”
Mr Farage suggested migrants from Eastern Europe may be responsible for the swan theft.
Turning Point UK has shared a video showing an RSCPA worker supposedly catching migrants cooking an unknown bird.
A second video seemingly showed migrants in the hallway of a flat holding a live goose, and replying “yeah” when asked by the onlooker whether they were going to eat it.
The comments come after the Clacton MP was challenged over his defence of Donald Trump last year.
The US President claimed that illegal immigrants from Haiti have been eating dogs, and the Reform UK leader said Mr Trump would likely be proved right.
Mr Farage said: “Whenever he says something like this that sounds absolutely crackers. In the end there always proves to be some truth in it.”
Donald Trump made his claims during his debate with Kamala Harris last year, when he said illegal Haitian migrants in Springfield “are eating the dogs.”
“The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating – they are eating the pets of the people that live there.”
