Men claiming to be migrants filmed themselves making gun gestures and dancing in the back of a lorry as they sneaked into Britain with grins on their faces.
TikTok Clips Document Journey
The pair of asylum seekers, believed to be from Sudan, uploaded three clips to TikTok, documenting their travels to England with Union Jack emojis. In one video, the young men are seen sauntering over to a white lorry, dressed in black puffer jackets and warm hats and gloves. The footage is accompanied by Arabic drill music and a caption saying 'the next one will be even better, God willing'.
They both smile as they lie on top of cargo in the vehicle, apparently leaving northern France, making gun gestures to the beat of the music. In another clip, a photo of a lorry is displayed on the screen with 'cargoGo' written across it, in an apparent mockery of Britain's border control. A third video shows one of the men dancing in the back of the lorry as he jumps up and down to British rap music.
Social Media Reactions
Dozens of social media users have commented under the clips, with some stating their own intentions to make it to the UK. One person said in Arabic: 'Congratulations, may you soon get your residence.' Another added: 'You're coming, brother.'
Channel Crossings Halted
It comes after Channel small boat crossings were halted for several days due to poor weather, with migrants instead opting to undertake the journey via lorry. Earlier this year, another man thought to be a migrant filmed himself hanging underneath a fast-moving lorry with his head just inches away from the road. The clip posted to TikTok showed the young man wedged into the bottom of the vehicle with his legs hanging from a pole, leaving his upper half floating dangerously close to the ground. The vehicle appeared to be going at a fast pace along a main road as the suspected asylum seeker filmed himself talking to the camera.
Another clip posted on the same day and by the same account showed a man latching onto a parked lorry by slotting himself between the front and back. The video then flicks to a man taking selfies in the mirror as he celebrates in a suspected taxpayer-funded hotel room. British flag emojis captioned both videos, alongside the message: 'And finally, my brother did it, England welcomes.' Another caption read: 'Receive brother, from within England.'
Migration Statistics
Recent figures show net migration to Britain fell to 171,000 last year, but the number of people who came claiming asylum during the year was 88,000, up slightly on the previous year. Separate data published by the Home Office, covering the more up-to-date period of the 12 months ending this March, showed there were 94,000 asylum claims, down 12 per cent year-on-year. It also revealed 21,000 asylum seekers were living in taxpayer-funded hotel accommodation at the end of March, down 35 per cent year-on-year. In all, the number of asylum seekers being supported by the Home Office dipped to 97,500.
However, the number of asylum seekers in dispersal accommodation, self-catering flats and houses across the country, stood at 68,719, up from just under 62,000 just before the 2024 General Election. These figures excluded Afghans who came here under special schemes set up by the government to support those at risk from the Taliban. When they are included, the total receiving support was just over 136,000, up from 130,000 at the election.
