Labour MP Displays Confused Establishment Mindset on Migration Crisis

So much of the European establishment’s failure to get to grips with the illegal migrant crisis appears to be down to official ignorance of—if not dishonesty over—what the situation involves.

This could not have been better demonstrated than by UK Labour minister Darren Jones’ claim on BBC debate programme Question Time last week that “the majority of the people in these boats are children, babies and women.”

Official government figures actually show that 83.6% of arrivals over the year to this March were men. Likewise in 2024, 73% of small boat arrivals were male.

Yet Jones has refused to apologise, instead claiming that he was referring to passengers on boats he had seen during a visit to Border Security Command. This is not at all clear in the full clip from the QT episode.

In contrast to Jones’ display of ignorance, jeers from the audience directed at his claim were indicative of the fact that voters do know what is actually going on, and of their strong desire for change.

This split is not at all exclusive to Britain. It is likely also the cause of weak proposals for countering illegal migration across the continent—including most obviously in the European Union’s Asylum and  Migration Pact—despite voters demanding tougher action.

The new German government engaged in a similar game of smoke and mirrors shortly after this year’s election, claiming that migrants being flown in from Afghanistan had supported German troops in Afghanistan, when in fact only a tiny percentage of those on board some of the flights were former local staff.

Rupert Lowe MP has asked that Jones issue a “public correction” for his claim, and joked that an eyesight test might also be appropriate.