Nigel Farage made a demand of Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham must review grants given to illegal immigrants following a wave of protests in the South of England, Nigel Farage has said. It comes after protests in Devon and Portsmouth over the arrival of asylum seekers led to masked men taking to the streets.
Balaclava wearing men chased vans full of migrants in Portsmouth and clashed with police over the weekend after the arrival of a so-called ‘Mega Dingy’. A video, posted online, carried the caption: “In pursuit of migrant coaches from Portsmouth NOW!! We are heading towards DOVER.”
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It was reported that around 500 people had joined protests in the area with some dressed up in black costumes following a similar protest in Dover on Saturday.
Now Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has called for a review of all asylum grants following the protests.
Government data shows some 42,000 people were granted refugee protection in the half of this year alone.
Recent reports in the Times newspaper suggested that only one in every one hundred such claims were genuine, according to a whistleblower.
Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage MP said: “We know that most of those landing on our shores are not genuine asylum seekers. They are military aged men with no identification and no right to be in this country. Yet, our weak system continues to accept tens of thousands of bogus asylum claims every year.
“Just on Sunday, 625 illegal migrants arrived on the UK’s south coast. No doubt they will be housed at the taxpayer’s expense in communities across this country. These grants must be reviewed immediately.”
Speaking earlier today the Reform UK shadow home secretary Zia Yusuf was interrupted by the far-right activist Danny Thomas as he spoke to the media.
Mr Thomas is a convicted attempted kidnapper and former soldier who helped organise the protests under the banner of the “Patriot Platform”.
It was launched in June to “reclaim our borders, restore order and send a clear message: Britain belongs to the British”.
He has previously expressed long-standing support for Tommy Robinson. Mr Thomas was jailed in 2016 for attempting to kidnap a man in Hampshire.
The protests follow a large boat of migrants being intercepted between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth over the weekend.
It comes as part of a change of tactics employed by people smugglers which have seen them change the routes they use to move migrants.
A government spokesman previously condemned the “intimidating and thuggish behaviour”.
“The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but it must never cross a line into disorder,” he said.
“We thank the emergency services who are working to safely manage this situation.”
Nigel Farage’s explosive demand to Andy Burnham over migrants after weekend of unrest
Nigel Farage has stepped up his criticism of Prime Minister Andy Burnham over migration after a weekend of disorder at ports in southern England, calling for the government to review asylum decisions as political pressure over the Channel crossings intensifies.
The intervention came after demonstrations in Dover and Portsmouth, where hundreds of protesters gathered following the arrival or expected transfer of asylum seekers. The scenes brought renewed attention to illegal migration, policing and the government’s handling of small-boat crossings.
Farage’s demand places migration firmly back at the centre of the political debate surrounding Burnham’s government. But it also raises an important question: how far can ministers change asylum policy in response to public anger while maintaining the legal and administrative framework governing refugee protection?
What happened over the weekend?
The immediate background to Farage’s intervention was a series of protests in southern England.
In Dover on Saturday, masked protesters blocked roads around the port. The following day, hundreds gathered in Portsmouth after a boat carrying migrants arrived in the area. ITV reported that protesters attempted to prevent people from being transported away from the city, while police established lines using riot shields and issued warnings about arrests.
The Portsmouth incident followed reports that a dinghy carrying roughly 140 migrants had made a lengthy journey before reaching the Hampshire coast.
The government condemned the disorder while also acknowledging the right to peaceful protest. A government spokesperson said that demonstrations were legitimate but should not cross into disorder. Police said some officers and emergency-service personnel were placed under significant pressure during the incidents.
The events were particularly politically sensitive because they occurred at a time when the government was already under pressure to demonstrate that its approach to Channel crossings was producing measurable results.
Farage’s demand
Farage responded by calling for a review of asylum grants.
According to his statement reported after the weekend’s events, the Reform UK leader argued that people arriving in small boats were being granted protection despite, in his view, many not having genuine asylum claims. He called on the government to review grants of asylum and refugee protection.
The demand reflects one of Reform UK’s central arguments on immigration: that Britain should adopt a substantially tougher approach to people arriving through irregular routes.
Farage has repeatedly argued that the government needs to move beyond efforts to reduce the number of boats and instead change what happens after people arrive.
His intervention therefore goes beyond criticism of individual protests. It is part of a wider political argument over whether Britain’s asylum system should be fundamentally redesigned.
Burnham’s role
The dispute is particularly significant because Andy Burnham is now prime minister and therefore carries responsibility for national policy on migration, border security and asylum.
Burnham’s government has continued efforts to reduce small-boat crossings through cooperation with France.
The Home Office has said that joint efforts have prevented more than 48,000 crossing attempts and resulted in the seizure of about 1,100 boats and engines since the election. It has also said crossings were lower during 2026, with July recording the lowest number for that month since 2020.
At the same time, ministers have argued that more needs to be done.
The government has agreed a payment-by-results arrangement with France intended to increase enforcement activity on French beaches. The Home Office said the deal would put 40% more personnel on French beaches.
That policy has not satisfied Farage.
Indeed, one of his criticisms after the Portsmouth incident was that the government could not claim to have solved the small-boat problem simply because overall numbers had fallen.
The geography of the crossings is changing
One of the more significant developments highlighted during the weekend was the changing geography of Channel migration.
The Portsmouth arrival was notable because it was considerably farther west than the familiar Dover-Calais route.
ITV reported that Farage linked the Portsmouth incident to Burnham’s agreement concerning additional French officers. His argument was that smugglers could respond to pressure in one part of the Channel by changing routes.
This is an important consideration for policymakers.
Reducing crossings at one location does not necessarily eliminate the underlying incentive for organised smuggling networks. If smugglers adapt their routes, the pressure can shift to different coastal communities.
That is why the government has emphasised international cooperation and disruption of criminal networks rather than relying exclusively on patrols at a single point.
The protests have created another political problem
The weekend’s events also demonstrated that migration has become a policing issue as well as an immigration-policy issue.
The Guardian reported that police forces were criticised over their preparedness for the Dover and Portsmouth demonstrations. Government officials subsequently sought improvements in intelligence gathering after hundreds of masked protesters appeared at the two ports.
The same report said Kent police acknowledged that information about a possible protest had been received before the Dover demonstration but was not fully assessed.
There were also concerns surrounding the treatment of lifeboat crews.
The Guardian reported that RNLI vessels involved in rescuing asylum seekers were prevented from using two ports before the migrants were eventually taken to Eastney, where police and other emergency services dealt with a large protest. The RNLI’s chief executive condemned abuse directed towards volunteers.
These developments complicate the political argument.
The government must demonstrate control over the border, but it must also maintain public order and protect emergency workers. Protesters have legal rights, yet police can intervene where demonstrations become threatening, obstructive or violent.
Farage’s wider immigration agenda
Farage’s latest intervention should also be viewed in the context of Reform UK’s broader immigration programme.
The party has advocated significantly tougher policies, including measures designed to increase removals of people without legal status and stronger action against small-boat crossings.
On September 20, Farage went further by saying he wanted to bring US immigration adviser Tom Homan to Britain to help secure the UK’s borders. The Guardian reported that Farage praised Homan and described the idea as “hijacking” him for British border enforcement.
This illustrates how immigration remains one of the defining issues for Farage and Reform UK.
It also creates a clear political contrast with the government’s approach, which combines enforcement with cooperation with France and the existing asylum system.
What would an asylum review actually mean?
Farage’s call for a review of asylum grants raises difficult practical and legal questions.
A person granted refugee protection normally has their claim assessed through the asylum system. A blanket reassessment of successful claims would require significant administrative resources and would have to operate within Britain’s domestic and international legal obligations.
There is also a distinction between reviewing individual decisions because new evidence has emerged and reopening large numbers of cases simply because political circumstances have changed.
The government would therefore have to determine what legal mechanism could be used, which cases would qualify for review and what evidence would trigger further action.
These questions are likely to become increasingly important if pressure from Reform UK and sections of the public continues to grow.
A broader political confrontation
The weekend of unrest has created a fresh confrontation between Farage and Burnham over immigration.
Farage argues that the government’s current strategy does not go far enough and that successful asylum claims should face greater scrutiny. Burnham’s government, meanwhile, points to falling crossing numbers, cooperation with France and efforts to disrupt smuggling operations as evidence that action is being taken.
Neither side can easily avoid the broader realities.
Britain remains responsible for processing asylum claims made within its jurisdiction, while successive governments have struggled to prevent irregular Channel crossings. At the same time, public frustration over accommodation, processing delays and the visibility of migrant arrivals has become an increasingly prominent political issue.
The events in Dover and Portsmouth have added another dimension: the risk that disputes over migration spill into confrontations between protesters, police and emergency workers.
For Burnham, the challenge is therefore not simply reducing the number of boats. His government must demonstrate that it can manage the border, process asylum claims efficiently, enforce immigration law and maintain public order.
For Farage, the weekend provides another opportunity to argue that incremental changes are insufficient and that Britain needs a much more fundamental shift in immigration policy.
The political argument is unlikely to disappear soon.
The latest dispute shows how migration has become intertwined with questions of border control, policing, international cooperation and public confidence. Farage’s demand for a review of asylum grants represents one side of that debate, while Burnham’s government is pursuing a strategy based on enforcement and cooperation with France.
What happens next will depend on whether the government can continue reducing irregular crossings while maintaining an asylum system capable of processing legitimate claims and responding to public concerns.
For now, the weekend’s unrest has ensured that immigration remains one of the most politically consequential challenges facing Burnham’s new government.