WATCH: Reform UK leader warns Channel migrants could become an 'army' against Britain

CALGARY — Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has warned that the growing number of young men crossing the English Channel in small boats could present a future security concern, following an undercover investigation into the migrant crossings.The comments came after TalkTV published footage from an undercover operation by reporter Christian Drogan, who joined a small boat carrying migrants attempting to cross the Channel from France to the United Kingdom.According to reports on the investigation, Drogan paid €1,400 to join the crossing while posing as someone involved in criminal activity. The boat reportedly carried about 35 migrants alongside several suspected smugglers.During the journey, a French patrol vessel approached the dinghy and warned those aboard that conditions further out at sea were dangerous. The officers offered to take people back to shore.The incident prompted criticism from Farage, who said the footage supported his ''longstanding concerns about the government's handling of Channel crossings.''.“Really, the only people who make it on the boats are young fit males,” Farage said in comments following the investigation.“These are aggressive, dangerous young males,” he continued, adding that some people believe they could “turn into a force within this country, perhaps even an army within this country that is against us.”Farage did not provide evidence that migrants arriving through the Channel crossings are organizing an army or other coordinated force. His comments were presented as a warning about what he described as a potential future security threat.Farage has made similar comments about the age and sex of people arriving across the Channel in the past. In May 2025, he described the arrivals as “undocumented young males of fighting age” entering Britain in what he called “unprecedented numbers.” In October 2024, he also referred to “young males of fighting age coming into our country about whom we know very little” in a video discussing an Afghan migrant who had crossed the Channel. The remarks later featured in court proceedings after the man was convicted of threatening to kill Farage..Farage has also previously called for a tougher response to the crossings, including proposals for the Royal Navy to intercept small boats and return their occupants to France.According to The Times, the British government has maintained that cooperation with French authorities is helping prevent crossings. The Home Office said joint efforts with France have resulted in more than 1,100 boats or engines being seized and prevented an estimated 47,000 crossing attempts.French authorities have said maritime law requires them to respond to people in distress at sea. The Times reported that French officers involved in the incident said they were not trained to intervene once migrant boats had departed the coast.

WATCH: Reform UK leader warns Channel migrants could become an 'army' against Britain

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