The new leader of the Green Party is set to make a highly controversial proposal, arguing that nearly half a billion pounds of British taxpayers' money should be redirected from policing efforts in France to providing comfort and aid for migrants before they attempt to cross the Channel.
A Christmas Day Call for Compassion
In a provocative message timed for release on Christmas Day, Zack Polanski will call for a radical overhaul of the UK's approach. He will state that the £476 million currently being spent on what he terms 'cruelty' to deter crossings should instead fund a new system rooted in 'compassion, kindness and humanity'. His pre-recorded video message is deliberately scheduled to clash with the traditional broadcast of the King's Speech.
Polanski's stance follows a three-day visit he made to Calais in the run-up to the festive period. During this visit, he claims to have witnessed distressing scenes, including French police officers – whose patrols are part-funded by the UK – slashing tents and confiscating wood that migrants had gathered to keep warm.
Controversial Figure and Stark Contrast
Mr Polanski, a former hypnotist once dubbed the 'boob whisperer', will deliver a stark condemnation of current political rhetoric. "This has to stop – the constant political rhetoric and demonisation of people who are just trying to survive in unimaginable living conditions," he is expected to say.
He will add, "I don't believe we're the country who the media paint us to be. I don't believe that we're cruel and heartless. And I don't believe that if people saw what I've seen in recent days, they would turn away." He advocates for the substantial funds to be switched to what he describes as 'a humanitarian and compassionate response' and will encourage donations to the Calais Appeal charity.
Policy Clash Amid Record Crossings
This call for a fundamental policy shift is likely to face fierce criticism, given the ongoing scale of Channel crossings. The context for his message is a year in which more than 41,000 people have arrived in the UK via small boats. Recent data shows a flurry of activity just before Christmas, with 803 people making the journey in 13 dinghies starting overnight on Friday into Saturday. A further 17 arrived on Monday, bringing the total for 2025 to 41,472.
Polanski's intervention also lands as the national debate intensifies around the UK's relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in immigration cases. Both the Conservative Party and Reform UK have stated they would be prepared to leave the convention to tackle immigration, a move that stands in direct opposition to the Greens' position.
Echoing concerns about the tone of the debate, Mary-Ann Stephenson, the new chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, recently warned against the demonisation of migrants. She stated that creating a narrative of migration as a huge risk "can make the lives not just of migrants to the UK, but of ethnic minority UK citizens, very, very difficult."
