Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host and potential defence secretary pick, used a D-Day commemoration in Normandy to deliver a blistering assessment of Europe’s migration crisis. Speaking at a private event attended by veterans and conservative lawmakers, Hegseth called the continent’s open borders a ‘slow-motion invasion’ that undermines the sacrifice of Allied forces. His remarks, obtained by this paper, have reignited a transatlantic row over border security.
‘They didn’t storm these beaches so that Europe could surrender its sovereignty to a wave of unchecked migration,’ Hegseth told the audience. ‘We see it in the UK, where small boats still land on Kent shores. We see it in Italy, where NGOs ferry people across the Mediterranean. This is not compassion. It is a failure of leadership.’
The speech landed with particular force in London, where Home Office officials privately welcomed the endorsement of their hardline stance. Sources confirm that Number 10 has long argued that the 2022 Rwanda deportation policy is a necessary deterrent, despite legal challenges and criticism from human rights groups. ‘Hegseth is saying what many in government think but cannot say publicly,’ a Whitehall insider told me. ‘The political class is terrified of being labelled xenophobic, but the public knows the system is broken.’
Uncovered documents from a leaked Home Office briefing suggest that officials have been tracking a 40% rise in asylum claims since 2020, with processing times averaging 18 months. The report warns that the backlog now exceeds 160,000 cases. ‘Every month we delay, the smugglers win,’ the briefing states. ‘This is a national security issue.’
Hegseth’s intervention comes as conservative parties across Europe gain ground on migration. In Sweden, the far-right Sweden Democrats now hold the balance of power. In Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s government has brokered deals with Tunisia to intercept boats. ‘The centre cannot hold,’ Hegseth said. ‘Either you control your borders, or they control you.’
Critics, however, accuse Hegseth of ‘weaponising’ D-Day for political gain. Fabrice Leggeri, the former head of Frontex, told me that comparing migrants to an invading army is ‘historically illiterate and dangerous.’ ‘We are talking about people fleeing war and poverty, not panzer divisions,’ he said. ‘This rhetoric poisons debate and makes solutions harder.’
Yet the polling tells a different story. A YouGov survey last month found that 68% of Britons believe the government is losing control of the borders. Another poll by Ipsos showed that migration now ranks second only to the cost of living as a national concern. ‘The public is way ahead of the politicians,’ said Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister and a leading voice for reform. ‘They understand that the current system is a threat to social cohesion and public finances.’
The row shows no sign of abating. Hegseth is expected to meet with senior Tories next week to discuss a ‘shared blueprint’ for border security. Meanwhile, Labour has accused the government of ‘dog-whistle politics’ while offering no credible alternative. ‘They have run out of ideas,’ a shadow home office source told me. ‘All they have is fear.’
But fear, as Hegseth knows, wins elections. And with a general election looming, the battle over Britain’s borders is just beginning.
