Nigel Farage clashes with lawyer on migrant crossings

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Mr Farage took his GB News show on tour during his “Farage at Large” segment and spoke with immigration lawyer Ivon Sampson, who disagreed with Mr Farage’s assessment of the Channel crossings. The former Brexit Party leader argued many of the migrants crossing the Channel were economic migrants and said the UK was the “holy grail” for them to settle in. Mr Sampson fought back and disputed Mr Farage’s claims but was soon met with jeers and boos from the Folkestone crowd where the show was being filmed.

Mr Farage presented his show from a Wetherspoons pub in Folkestone with locals invited to attend.

The GB News presenter invited Mr Sampson and Chair of Migration Watch, Alp Mehmet, to debate the Channel crossings.

Folkestone has several detention centres as many migrant boats land there from France.

Mr Farage opened his monologue by slamming the migrants crossing. He said many were economic migrants looking for work and a better life in the UK rather than seeking asylum.

But Mr Sampson disagreed: “Well, Nigel, I deal in facts, as a lawyer that presents facts I look at the law and attach facts to the law…”

Mr Farage interrupted and demanded to know what was incorrect.

Mr Sampson continued; “Well, first of all, you said that most of these people are economic migrants.

“The reality is if you heard the Home Affairs Select Committee on September 3… two-thirds crossing the Channel are genuine refugees – that is a fact.”

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The crowd quickly turned on the immigration lawyer with some jeering and disagreeing with his statement.

Mr Farage wanted to know how they are defined as refugees and whether it was down to their race or religion being persecuted. 

Mr Sampson added the Refugee Convention has defined them as such and that 70 percent of those crossing the Channel have claimed asylum previously.

The lawyer also referenced the Dublin Convention which dictates the processes on how to return asylum seekers to their country of origin.

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The convention lays out who is responsible for asylum seekers being processed but the UK is no longer part of the deal.

Home Secretary Priti Patel was also advised by Mr Sampson to set up bilateral agreements with the EU to solve the issues of migrants crossing.

Later on in the debate, the audience was asked their thoughts on the topic, with one woman explaining she believes many people in Folkestone have closeted feelings about immigration. 

She explained many were worried about being labelled with “isms” and some were scared going out at night because of the crossings.

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