Farage says Iranian ‘operatives’ crossing Channel, demands UK response
The Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has demanded the British government explain whether alleged Iranian operatives have crossed the English Channel in small boats, after claiming he had received information from a source in the Iranian diaspora.
“I do have a source within the Iranian-Persian diaspora who is one of the best-connected human beings in the world that I know,” Farage told GB News.
“He told me last night that he knows for a fact that over the course of the last few weeks, there have been Iranian operatives crossing the Channel in small boats.”
“To put that in simple terms, we are importing terrorists into our country from across the English Channel.”
Farage said he would challenge the government to respond directly, publicly asking Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to confirm or deny the claim.
GB News reported that Iranians have made up a significant share of small boat arrivals since the Channel crossings crisis began in 2018, with more than 30,000 Iranians crossing during that period, including 4,500 last year.
The outlet said Iranians accounted for around 16 percent of all small boat arrivals, followed by Afghans at 14 percent and Iraqis at 10 percent.