Major General Julian Thompson commanded a key part of the recapture of the Falkland Islands (Image: Steven Edginton)
A Falklands War veteran caused fury when he said small boats carrying migrants to the UK should be shot. Major-General Julian Thompson, 92, a former commander of 3 Commando Brigade, commanding Operation Sutton, the attack at San Carlos Water in May 1982, on the ground. “I would shoot them,” Maj. Gen. Thompson said in a YouTube documentary produced by Steven Edginton. “We could stop them tomorrow, if we really had the guts. I’d shoot them, sorry, but I would,” he added. “We’ve allowed it to happen. We’re wet […] We’ve allowed it to happen.”
“As long as they don’t come around here, I don’t mind what they do,” Maj. Gen. Thompson told the Mail on Sunday. The former Royal Marine added: “They come over here and rape our girls. One machine-gun blast is all it would take […] then they would get the message.
“I just want them to bugger off.” He warned that if the Government did not stop them, then there “will be a revolution”. “Our leaders are just wet,” Maj. Gen. Thompson said, also suggested the country is “not Britain any more”.
He added: “It’s a sort of funny conglomeration of people, and in a wet country that allows itself to be pushed around all over the place.” He even went as far to so: “I’m glad I won’t see it; I’ll be dead.”
Maj. Gen. Thompson also called Islam “a flawed religion” in that “women are totally out”. “They can be treated like chattels, and children the same,” he said.
A Home Office spokesman said: “This Government is bearing down on dangerous and illegal crossings. Anyone who seeks to take the law into their own hands is putting lives at risk and will face serious criminal consequences.”
Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said “opening fire on migrant boats would be completely wrong”. He added: “I understand people’s anger at migrant crossings but we cannot shoot at people. There is another way to end this. If the French won’t stop the boats near the shore then the British Government should deport every illegal immigrant within a week of arrival.”
Crossings so far in 2026 have fallen 41% compared to 2025 and are around a fifth lower than in 2024 and 2023, according to Press Association analysis of Home Office figures. But 20,935 people have still made the crossing so far this year.
Hampshire Constabulary said around 350 people left Haslar Road at around 2am on Monday, October 5, after a group of migrants were brought ashore by coastguard, lifeboat and border security staff. The force had imposed conditions under the Public Order Act as well as powers prohibiting the wearing of face coverings.
A total of 12 people were arrested with suspects including 11 men aged between 22 and 59, and one 57-year-old woman. They were arrested on suspicion of offences including assaulting a police officer, drunk and disorderly, failing to comply with conditions put in place on the protest, criminal damage and racially aggravated public order.
Falklands War Veteran Says Small Boats Carrying Migrants Across the Channel Should Be ‘Shot’
The debate over illegal migration across the English Channel has intensified after a decorated Falklands War veteran made controversial remarks suggesting that small boats carrying migrants to Britain should be shot at. His comments have reignited arguments about border security, the role of the armed forces and the limits of government power when dealing with dangerous crossings.
Major-General Julian Thompson, now 92, commanded 3 Commando Brigade during the 1982 Falklands War and played a key role in Operation Sutton, the British landings at San Carlos Water. In a documentary produced by Steven Edginton, Thompson expressed deep frustration with the continued arrival of small boats, arguing that the authorities had failed to stop the crossings. His remarks were reported on October 12, 2026, and prompted strong criticism as well as renewed discussion about how Britain should respond. <Cite refs={[“turn768439search0”]}/>
The comments have placed the issue in sharp focus: how can the government prevent dangerous Channel crossings and disrupt people-smuggling networks while protecting human life and upholding the law?
A Veteran’s Anger Over Channel Crossings
Thompson’s military background has made his intervention particularly striking. During the Falklands conflict, he held a senior operational command role in a campaign that involved difficult landings, combat and the coordination of troops under dangerous conditions.
His recent comments, however, concern a very different situation. Rather than a battlefield confrontation, the Channel crossings involve overcrowded vessels carrying people who may include children, asylum seekers and others hoping to enter the United Kingdom. The boats can be dangerously unsuitable for the journey, and the people aboard may be exposed to serious risks even before rescue services reach them.
According to the report, Thompson argued that Britain could stop the crossings quickly if its leaders were prepared to take more forceful action. He used language advocating shooting at the boats and expressed anger at what he viewed as the government’s failure to control the situation. The remarks were his own views; they should not be confused with official military policy or an announced government plan.
The reaction has been significant because the proposal raises questions that go far beyond immigration enforcement. Using firearms against a vessel carrying people would create an immediate risk of death or serious injury. It would also raise difficult questions about identifying those responsible for smuggling, distinguishing them from passengers and determining whether any use of force was lawful.
For many people concerned about Channel crossings, the veteran’s comments reflect frustration with a problem that has continued despite successive policy announcements. Others argue that anger about border control cannot justify a response that could kill people who are not responsible for organising the journeys.
The Government Rejects Taking the Law Into One’s Own Hands
The British government has emphasised its commitment to tackling dangerous and irregular crossings, while warning against individuals taking violent action themselves.
A Home Office spokesperson, responding to the remarks, said the government was bearing down on dangerous and illegal crossings and warned that anyone attempting to take the law into their own hands would put lives at risk and face serious criminal consequences. <Cite refs={[“turn768439search0”]}/>
That distinction matters. A government can enforce immigration law, prosecute suspected smugglers, strengthen border operations and seek cooperation with other countries. Those measures do not automatically make shooting at a boat a lawful or proportionate method of enforcement.
The use of force by police or military personnel is subject to legal constraints. In any real incident, the circumstances would matter, including whether there was an immediate threat to life, what alternatives were available and whether the force used was necessary and proportionate. A blanket policy of shooting at migrant boats would raise grave legal and humanitarian concerns.
The issue is also complicated by the fact that the people steering a vessel may not be the same people who organised or financed the journey. Some passengers may have paid criminal networks for passage, while others may have limited knowledge of the arrangements. Investigations therefore need evidence that identifies the people actually responsible for endangering passengers and facilitating organised smuggling.
The challenge for ministers is to demonstrate that enforcement is effective without suggesting that every person aboard an irregularly arriving boat can be treated as a combatant or a legitimate target.