A Muslim convert living in east London has said that living in England is “the best” because “everything is free”, including treatment for her medical issues. The Filipino woman, interviewed on the streets of Whitechapel for a documentary on mass immigration by Steven Edington, described the district as a “Muslim area” with a “big Bangladeshi community”.
‘Everything is free’
Asked what she thinks of the UK, she said: “It's the best because I have my heart problem, I have my diabetes and everything is free. It's the best when it comes to benefits, especially your medical. I don't have any problem, they just deliver my maintenance and it's free.” She went on to claim she had passed the UK citizenship examination in “just one click”.
Immigration backlash
The remarks come amid backlash to rising migration levels, largely concentrated on parts of the south coast in response to small boat arrivals. Protests broke out following the arrival of several migrant dinghies from Normandy, including a vessel carrying 51 people in early October. The provisional total for Channel crossings this year is 20,935, down 41% on this time last year and around a fifth lower than in 2023 and 2024.
Row over English identity
The comments also come amid a row over what constitutes English identity between the Conservatives and Reform UK, after Suella Braverman suggested only white people can be English. Kemi Badenoch accused the party of “taking us backwards” and wanting to “debate whether my mixed-race children are English” in her conference speech.
Robert Jenrick, treasury spokesperson for Reform, doubled down on Ms Braverman's comments, insisting that “millions and millions” of people living in Britain “are not culturally or ethnically English”. Mr Jenrick was heavily criticised last year for complaining about not seeing “another white face” in an area of Birmingham, which he cited as a failure of integration.
Nigel Farage pledged this week to ban anyone from being granted asylum in Britain for five years if Reform were elected, saying all asylum tribunals, legal refugee routes and resettlement schemes would be scrapped and he would not hear the 90,000 outstanding asylum and humanitarian appeals, instead deporting the claimants.
Government crackdown
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced further restrictions on migrants using human rights claims to prevent their removal from the UK earlier this month, with the new rules intended to crack down on “loopholes” and people making “last-minute” claims. The amendments to the Immigration and Asylum Bill, set to be discussed by a committee of MPs over the coming month, will make last-minute asylum claims without a good reason count against a migrant's credibility while deciding whether they can stay in the country.
Ms Mahmood said: “The British public must trust that their immigration system is secure, controlled and not open to abuse. These reforms will protect its integrity, prevent exploitation and ensure that those with no right to be here are swiftly removed. This builds on our work to ramp up removals and slash asylum costs, while providing sanctuary to those who need it.”
