Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said he had a large knife pulled on him and was “pelted with bottles” during a visit to a migrant camp in northern France.
During a trip with Daily Express journalist Zak Garner-Purkis, the Conservative MP attempted to speak to asylum seekers living in tents near Dunkirk, as they waited to cross the English Channel in small boats.
After attempting to speak to a group of Eritreans and a man carrying lifejackets, he is approached by Mr Garner-Purkis, who informs him that a man with a “rather large knife” has walked behind them.
In the clip, Mr Philp says: “I found it pretty shocking – you said behind me somebody had pulled out some sort of machete and we left pretty quickly.”
Mr Garner-Purkis says the man was “swinging it around in the air”, adding: “It was clear he was doing it to send a message to the other people there – whether it was a case of ‘don’t speak’.”
Shortly afterwards while walking along the road recounting the incident to the camera, objects can be seen being thrown at them.
Mr Garner-Purkis says “they are throwing bottles at us” and Philp responds: “Right, we’ve got to go.
In a post on social media, the Croydon South MP said: “We were attacked today at the migrant camp dubbed “The Jungle 2” just outside Dunkirk.
“We were threatened with a machete, pelted with bottles & our car hit as we sped off.
“Those responsible are likely to be in the UK soon in a taxpayer funded hotel. This border madness must end.”
In another video, he filmed a group of migrants boarding a bus while French police appear to be standing by showing “complete inactivity”.
He said: “I just found French Police actively facilitating illegal immigration.
“The officers – likely UK funded – are ushering illegal immigrants onto a public bus to take them towards boat embarkation points. I took this shocking footage in Gravelines, northern France, an hour or so ago.”
More than 50,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel since Labour won the 2024 general election.
Home Office figures show 474 migrants arrived by small boat on Monday alone, which brings recorded arrivals to 50,271 since the election on July 4 2024.
Labour former home secretary Baroness Smith of Malvern had said earlier on Tuesday that reaching the milestone is “unacceptable”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour’s promise to “smash the criminal boat gangs” in its manifesto last year was “just a slogan”, with crossings now “so much worse” than they were before the vote.
There have been 27,029 arrivals so far this year, which is 47 per cent higher than at the same point of 2024 when the figure stood at 18,342, and 67 per cent higher than at the same time in 2023 (16,170).
Earlier this month, the government began detaining migrants under a new “one in, one out” deal with France.
UK officials aim to make referrals for returns to France within three days of a migrant’s arrival by small boat, while French authorities will respond within 14 days.
An approved asylum seeker in France will be brought to the UK under a safe route as part of the exchange.
