TalkTV viewers were left furious on Wednesday afternoon as Reform UK chairman Lee Anderson issued a stark warning live from France, claiming that migrants will soon be "coming to a street near you."
Broadcast from Gravelines
Anderson broadcast from Gravelines, France, where he gave viewers an insight into the conditions illegal migrants are living in before attempting the perilous journey across the English Channel. Dressed in a blue parka, he revealed that French police were hassling him and his team during their two-day visit, while seemingly ignoring the migrants who had set up camp along the coast.
He said: "We've been down the beaches for two days running, and both days we've been hassled by the local French police. They've turned up armed to the teeth, looking very aggressive. We've had to explain ourselves with gas masks; they're checking our ID, wanting to know what we're doing here."
Warning to UK streets
Anderson went on to describe what he saw in the migrant camps, noting that there were more women and children than before. He claimed that the men in the camps were covering their faces when cameras were present, suggesting they might be wanted for crimes in their own countries.
He stated: "These young undocumented men - they'll be coming to an HMO on a street near you VERY SOON." He added: "I don't want these people in this country, and neither do the people in my constituency, but the thing is: these people living in these camps, these young, undocumented men, they'll be coming to an HMO on a street near you very, very shortly. Mark my words."
Viewer reactions
The segment sparked a flurry of reactions on X, formerly Twitter. One user wrote: "The French allow them to camp there, that's part of the problem." Another commented: "Sounds like a Netflix series: 'The Real Housemates of HMO', spoiler: the plot twist is everyone's patience runs out." A third asked: "And not one with a reason to come! Why are we keeping them?"
