Nigel Farage has been condemned as “callous and heartless” for making a boat trip into the Channel to monitor migrants arriving in the UK.
The Brexit Party leader posted on Twitter that he had “just hit dry land in Dover” after an early morning foray to track migrants arriving on British shores.
His latest move comes after he was reprimanded by the police for making several trips to the south coast during lockdown to produce videos on what he describes as an “illegal migrant scandal”.
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After a complaint from the public, Mr Farage was visited by officers from Kent Police, who advised him on the restrictions on travel in place to tackle coronavirus.
An unrepentant Mr Farage claims to have now taken to the waves, posting on Twitter: “Just hit dry land in Dover.
1/18 Najaf, Iraq
A man holds a pocket watch at noon, at an almost empty market near the Imam Ali shrine
Reuters
2/18 Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of The Grand Palace)
Reuters
3/18 Prague, Czech Republic
An empty street leading to the historic Old Town Square
Reuters
4/18 Washington DC, US
Lawn stretching towards the Capitol, home of Congress
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5/18 Jerusalem’s Old City
A watch showing the time in front of Damascus Gate
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6/18 London, UK
The Houses of Parliament seen from Westminster Bridge
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7/18 Wuhan, China
Empty lanes in the city that saw the first outbreak of disease
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8/18 Havana, Cuba
The Malecon road and esplanade winds along the city’s seafront
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9/18 Cairo, Egypt
A little busier than elsewhere: midday traffic in Tahrir Square
Reuters
10/18 Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate, the only surviving city gate in the capital
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11/18 Caracas, Venezuela
Bolivar Avenue, opened in 1949 and the site of many demonstrations and rallies
Reuters
12/18 Moscow, Russia
Spasskaya Tower (left) on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, and St Basil’s Cathedral
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13/18 Istanbul,Turkey
The harbourside Eminonu district is usually buzzing with activity
Reuters
14/18 New Delhi, India
Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard that runs through the capital
Reuters
15/18 Amman, Jordan
The Roman amphitheatre that dates back to the 2nd century AD
Reuters
16/18 New York City, US
The main concourse of Grand Central station in Manhattan
Reuters
17/18 Kiev, Ukraine
Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the site of many political protests since the end of the Soviet era
Reuters
18/18 Accra, Ghana
The odd walker out in the midday sun on Ring Road Central
Reuters
1/18 Najaf, Iraq
A man holds a pocket watch at noon, at an almost empty market near the Imam Ali shrine
Reuters
2/18 Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram (The Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of The Grand Palace)
Reuters
3/18 Prague, Czech Republic
An empty street leading to the historic Old Town Square
Reuters
4/18 Washington DC, US
Lawn stretching towards the Capitol, home of Congress
Reuters
5/18 Jerusalem’s Old City
A watch showing the time in front of Damascus Gate
Reuters
6/18 London, UK
The Houses of Parliament seen from Westminster Bridge
Reuters
7/18 Wuhan, China
Empty lanes in the city that saw the first outbreak of disease
Reuters
8/18 Havana, Cuba
The Malecon road and esplanade winds along the city’s seafront
Reuters
9/18 Cairo, Egypt
A little busier than elsewhere: midday traffic in Tahrir Square
Reuters
10/18 Berlin, Germany
The Brandenburg Gate, the only surviving city gate in the capital
Reuters
11/18 Caracas, Venezuela
Bolivar Avenue, opened in 1949 and the site of many demonstrations and rallies
Reuters
12/18 Moscow, Russia
Spasskaya Tower (left) on the eastern wall of the Kremlin, and St Basil’s Cathedral
Reuters
13/18 Istanbul,Turkey
The harbourside Eminonu district is usually buzzing with activity
Reuters
14/18 New Delhi, India
Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard that runs through the capital
Reuters
15/18 Amman, Jordan
The Roman amphitheatre that dates back to the 2nd century AD
Reuters
16/18 New York City, US
The main concourse of Grand Central station in Manhattan
Reuters
17/18 Kiev, Ukraine
Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the site of many political protests since the end of the Soviet era
Reuters
18/18 Accra, Ghana
The odd walker out in the midday sun on Ring Road Central
Reuters
“Was out mid-Channel early this morning and we found a small inflatable in trouble with over 20 onboard. They were bailing water.
“Footage will be out later. The invasion will continue unless we act.”
Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrat shadow home affairs spokesperson said: “The actions of Nigel Farage today are appalling. To disregard those struggling to survive in such a callous and heartless way is a new low, even for him.
“Priti Patel’s decision to pander to individuals such as Farage only increases incidents such as these.
“By making it harder to come to the UK safely, the Conservatives are playing into the hands of criminal gangs who exploit desperate people for profit.”
She called for a stronger Border Force to stop people smugglers and legal routes to sanctuary to help people claiming asylum.
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Recent figures from the Home Office show around 450 people travelled to the UK in small boats between January and March.
Figures compiled by The Telegraph using Border Force data put the figure much higher at around 1,435 arrivals in 2020 to date.
Earlier, Priti Patel, the home secretary, told LBC that tackling illegal crossings was “a major challenge” and blamed organised criminal gangs for the numbers trying to make the journey.
