Farage demands Burnham declare 'national security emergency' at PMQs over Iranian small boat crossings

Nigel Farage challenged Prime Minister Andy Burnham at PMQs on Wednesday over what he called a "national security emergency" in the English Channel, citing MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum's disclosure that more than 50 arrests tied to Iranian operations had been made over the past year. Farage argued that "young, unidentified males" from Iran arriving on small boats "pose a genuine security threat to our nation." Burnham acknowledged there was "much more to be done" while pointing to declining crossing numbers and rising removals. Over 20,000 people have crossed the Channel by rubber dinghy in 2025 to date.

MI5's McCallum also raised the alarm over arson attacks on Jewish sites in London and an alleged Iranian terror plot targeting a Manchester synagogue.

Farage separately called for criminal prosecution of charities that assist asylum seekers in getting to Britain, accusing NGOs of having "aided and abetted criminality in absolutely every way."

In a post on X, Farage accused Burnham of refusing to face reality, saying "only Reform will stop the invasion and put the safety of the British people first."