GB News presenter Patrick Christys interviewed a small boat migrant who crossed the English Channel, revealing that the man felt Labour gave him everything he needed. The interview aired on Christys' late-night show on July 16, 2026, amid record-breaking Channel crossings.
Record Channel Crossing
On July 10, 2026, a single small boat carried 128 migrants, breaking the previous record of 125 set in September 2025. That week, 225 people crossed the Channel in total. The interviewed migrant, an Afghan national, described a 16-day journey to the UK.
Migrant's Account
The man told Christys: "When we reached England, the English police came and got us, and we went to a hotel in London and spent around one or two weeks in that place, and then there were one or two weeks in the camp." He praised the UK: "I like it very much. They are helping us; they provide everything that we need. It is a really good area, but unfortunately, some small people don't like us. We are very happy we are here." He added he chose the UK for the language and opportunities as a professional MMA fighter.
Public Backlash
Viewers on X (formerly Twitter) expressed anger. One wrote: "Absolute joke, imagine breaking into a country illegally and getting treated like royalty." Another said: "Just giving away houses to people that arrive here illegally is just outrageous. We really are being taken for mugs." A third fumed: "This has left me raging. Shabana Mahmood, Keir Starmer and the Labour Government, you have betrayed the people you serve in the worst possible way; you all belong in jail."
Protests in Crowborough
The interview follows protests in Crowborough, East Sussex, where hundreds demonstrated against plans to keep using a former military base to house migrants until 2030. The Crowborough Training Camp, an ex-Army barracks, currently accommodates Channel crossers. Families and children marched, met by a smaller counter-protest. The government's decision to extend the site's use sparked the demonstration.
