London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Home Office calls out Nigel Farage for 'incorrect' Covid migrant claims

Home Office calls out Nigel Farage for 'incorrect' Covid migrant claims

Nigel Farage has been left red-faced after the Home Office called him out over a tweet claiming 12 migrants tested positive for coronavirus when they arrived at Dover.

Farage told his 1.6 million followers yesterday: ‘Covid crisis in Dover this morning. One migrant boat with 12 on board and they all tested positive for the virus.’

The leader of Reform UK, formerly known as The Brexit Party, also took a swipe at Home Secretary Priti Patel in his tweet, telling her to ‘get a grip’.

But last night the Home Office hit back, tweeting Mr Farage: ‘This is incorrect. None of these 12 people tested positive for Covid-19.

‘All adults who arrived today have been tested for Covid-19.’

The 12 migrants were among a total of 87 people, including children, on four boats who made the treacherous Channel crossing yesterday.

One adult – but not in the group of 12 referred to by Mr Farage – tested positive for coronavirus, the Home Office said.


Around 87 people arrived in Dover after crossing the Channel on Saturday


Mr Farage has yet to respond to the tweet from the Home Office.

Some social media users have urged Twitter bosses to remove Mr Farage’s tweet ‘if the information is incorrect’.

Others suggested his tweets should carry a disclaimer warning – similar to those placed on some of Donald Trump’s outbursts following his US Presidential election defeat.

But many followers continued to back the Brexiteer, with one saying: ‘I believe Nigel over the Home Office any day of the week.’

Others urged people to have more ‘compassion’ for asylum seekers and refugees making the desperate journey across the Channel.

It comes as French authorities also stopped two attempts to cross the Channel, involving a further 51 people, yesterday.

Mr Farage tweeted the claims about migrants yesterday

Mr Farage told Home Secretary Priti Patel to ‘get a grip’ in his tweet


Following the incident, the Home Office said: ‘People should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and not risk their lives making these dangerous crossings.

‘We are continuing to pursue the criminals behind these illegal crossings.

‘Police patrols on French beaches and enhanced intelligence sharing between our security and law enforcement agencies has helped to prevent crossings.

‘The Government is also returning illegal migrants who have no right to stay in the UK to safe countries.

‘In January, new rules were introduced which make asylum claims inadmissible where people have travelled through safe countries to get to the UK through illegal routes.’

It comes as concerns continue to mount over misinformation being peddled online about the coronavirus pandemic.

More than half a million misinformation videos about coronavirus have been removed by YouTube in the past year, bosses said last month.

Prince William also warned against ‘rumours and misinformation’ on social media platforms about coronavirus vaccines – as he and the Duchess of Cambridge urged people to take the jab.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×