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Nigel Farage publicly ridiculed Keir Starmer as the Labour leader prepared to outline plans to counter the Reform Party in the next election by intensifying efforts to curb illegal immigration. Farage, the Reform UK leader, took to social media platform X, stating, "On the day of Keir Starmer’s big fightback against Reform UK, 250 young men are already crossing the Channel by 8am."
Meanwhile, one migrant died and seven others were injured, including two who sustained severe burns, while attempting to reach England by boat. The incident occurred early Monday morning off the coast of northern France, where approximately 60 people, including men, women, and children, were rescued.
Emergency services reported that a fire broke out due to a faulty outboard motor supplied by people smugglers. The injured were brought to Le Portel, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, at around 3 am by two rescue vessels. Among the injured were two Somali men, aged 20 and 26, with severe burns, and two Eritrean women, aged 35 and 28, suffering from severe hypothermia. The deceased remains unidentified.
Authorities in France have launched an investigation into the fatality, while judicial police are searching for those responsible for organizing the dangerous crossing.
The incident follows a weekend of heightened activity along the cross-Channel route, with favorable weather conditions prompting multiple boat departures. Over 10 people have lost their lives attempting to reach the UK via small boats this year, and in 2024, 78 migrants died in similar circumstances — the highest number since smugglers began using small boats in 2018.
In January, a Syrian man became the first migrant fatality of 2025 after being crushed in an overcrowded boat.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau condemned the smugglers, stating that the government would intensify its crackdown on "mafias" profiting from these perilous crossings.
Starmer, addressing the crisis during a speech at Downing Street, called for stricter immigration controls, warning that the UK risked becoming "an island of strangers" rather than a united nation. He criticized the current immigration system for enabling abuse and accused businesses of exploiting it to hire lower-paid foreign workers instead of investing in local talent.
Starmer stated, "When you have an immigration system that almost encourages abuse, that allows businesses to bring in low-wage workers rather than invest in our young people, you’re not promoting growth or justice. You’re contributing to the forces that are tearing our country apart."
Despite pledges to "strengthen cooperation" with French President Emmanuel Macron to tackle people smuggling, critics argue that the UK government has not done enough to address the ongoing migrant crisis.
