Charities and volunteers who help asylum seekers reach the UK should face potential criminal prosecution, according to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. He made the remarks during an interview with right-wing US podcaster Benny Johnson.
The Reform leader did not specify which organisations should be targeted. However, he and other senior figures in his party have previously criticised the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which has faced intimidation for its work rescuing asylum seekers crossing the Channel.
Discussing the arrival of asylum seekers on small boats, Farage described the movement as literally an invasion of people who could cause enormous harm. When Johnson asked if he believed in criminal penalties for those who facilitated the crossings, Farage replied that he was totally in favour.
Farage stated that the role of non-governmental organisations, including those supported by taxpayers, had aided and abetted criminality in every way. He labelled the individuals involved as deluded, hard-left socialist Marxists who do not believe in countries, borders, or identities.
Reform figures have previously targeted the RNLI, with Farage having called the charity a migrant taxi service. Other members of his party have also faced criticism after sharing footage of protesters abusing lifeboat crews bringing people ashore.
A spokesperson for Reform said Farage’s comments speak for themselves. The call for charities and campaign groups to face prosecution bears similarities to efforts by former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.
During the conversation, Farage repeatedly raised the arrival of Muslim asylum seekers in the UK, citing Michigan as an example where right-wing agitators have stirred anti-Muslim sentiment. He claimed European nations faced greater migration problems than the US.
Farage warned that if Donald Trump was followed by a weak politician who failed to tackle migration and stand up for English-speaking Christian values, the consequences would be dire. He also claimed that podcasts like Johnson’s could become illegal for hate speech within a decade.
Farage expressed shock that certain individuals remained out on bail while others jailed over speech offences faced harsh treatment, referring to this dynamic as two-tier policing.
Farage has previously faced criticism from Jewish groups for using US media appearances to discuss tropes and conspiracy theories associated with the far right and antisemitism.
