Nigel Farage has been accused by charities of spreading “unevidenced fears” over asylum seekers in his latest tirade on those who illegally enter the UK on small boats.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Reform UK leader claimed foreign migrants made the dangerous crossing “because they know they have an over 99 per cent chance of staying”.
He said they came to be “looked after” with free healthcare and £49-a-week “pocket money”, adding “while they are at it probably work illegally either in delivery services or drugs or whatever it may be”.
His comments came less than 24 hours after protesters were accused of trying to break into a hotel housing asylum seekers in Canary Wharf.
In response to a reporter’s question, Mr Farage rejected he was steering people into fear to persuade them to vote for Reform.
He said: “We have to recognise something, there are some people who come from certain cultures that pose a danger to our society.”
But his comments have been met with a strong reaction from charities.
Care4Calais, a British charity supporting asylum seekers in France, said Mr Farage’s “populist politics” were a danger to UK communities.
Chief executive Steve Smith said: "It's hardly surprising that the politician who inflamed last summer's race riots would spread unevidenced fear about people seeking sanctuary again.
“His [Mr Farage’s] form of populism doesn't require facts, it is built on dangerous, unsourced, ill-informed divisive soundbites. It sows division in our communities, and like last summer race riots, it puts the lives of people seeking sanctuary in danger."
Hope Not Hate, an advocacy group that campaigns against racism, also reacted to the comments at the press conference, held to unveil Reform UK’s policy for the criminal justice system.
A charity spokesperson said: “Farage trades on fear because it galvanises his supporter base and keeps the spotlight on the issues he wants to exploit, immigration and ‘law and order’. By talking up crime he positions himself as the lone strong-man solution.
“However, Reform’s approach to law and order is deeply hypocritical. Reform figures have excused rioters at anti-migrant protests, and even praised vandalism of ULEZ cameras. It’s cuffs for opponents and leniency for friends. "
The office of Sadiq Khan also responded to a remark made by Mr Farage in which he told a reporter she would not walk through the West End of London after 9pm wearing jewellery.
The office shared Met Police data that showed the number of robberies had fallen 20 per cent over the past 12 months, compared to a decrease of 12 per cent across London. A spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe.”
Reform UK has been approached by The Independent for comment.
Also at the press conference, Mr Farage claimed there has been a “cover-up” of details about an alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton. Two men have been charged in relation to the alleged incident in the Warwickshire town.
Mr Farage linked a perceived lack of information from police to what happened in Southport last July, saying he wanted to discuss a “cover-up that in many ways is reminiscent of what happened after the Southport killings last year”.
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