The Tories’ claim that Channel migrants are 24 times more likely to be jailed than British citizens is false, but Reform is still repeating it
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson was called out by Labour minister Dame Diana Johnson for repeating a claim about ‘channel migrants’ which has been shown to be untrue.
Anderson repeated a claim made by the Conservative Party and published in several right-wing newspapers last week that “Illegal migrants crossing the channel are 24 times more likely to end up in British jails than British-born citizens”.
During urgent questions on asylum hotels, he said that the government allows thousands of “unvetted males” to enter the UK, and claimed that they commit rape and murder, and “there are some potential terrorists among them”.
The MP for Ashfield then asked the Home Office minister: “Does the Minister agree that it is time to forget the silly legislation that Labour MPs are bleating on about and to detain these people and deport them? We do not want to see any of these silly tags put on their ankles; just detain and deport them straight away.”
Johnson reminded Anderson that they had sat on the Home Affairs Select Committee for a number of years and that they had both visited Manston asylum seeker centre.
Anderson shook his head, indicating he hadn’t gone on the visit.
The Home Office Minister responded: “Well, perhaps he did not, but it might have helped if he had. At Manston, information and biometrics are taken from people who come across in small boats; they are checked against records. I wish he would have a look at what actually happens.”
She added that the statistic that Channel migrants are 24x more likely to end up in prison than British citizens has not been verified.
Johnson said: “I think the statistic he mentioned comes from a newspaper; I do not think it has actually been verified, although I am willing to have a look at it, but I think it was in The Sun if I recall correctly.”
Full Fact found that the claim was not accurate as it compares 2025 prison figures to outdated 2021 population data and it uses figures for all foreign nationals, not specifically those who arrived via small boat crossings.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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