US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stirred controversy by asserting that European countries are grappling with an influx of migrants, just a day after Vice-President JD Vance connected the murder of Henry Nowak to what he described as a “mass invasion of migrants.”
Hegseth made these statements during a solemn ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery in north-west France, marking the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, the historic Allied landings on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944.
Addressing the gathering, Hegseth remarked, “Regrettably, today, various dangerous ideologies are washing up on different European shores. Beaches in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Bulgaria are witnessing the arrival of boats and individuals. When will European capitals take action against this perceived invasion?”
These remarks contradict official data indicating a significant decline in irregular migration since the peak of the 2015 refugee crisis. For instance, in Greece, arrivals by small boats plummeted from 856,723 in 2015 to 41,696 in 2025, marking a notable 95% decrease. Similarly, Italy saw arrivals drop from 153,842 in 2015 to 66,316 in 2025, reflecting a 56.9% decrease.
Moreover, net migration in the UK has hit its lowest point since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 82% below its peak in 2023. The estimated net migration for the year ending December 2025 was 171,000, down nearly half (48.3%) from the previous year.
Recent data reveals that 36,000 individuals arrived by small boat in the year leading up to May 31, 2026, marking a 13% decrease compared to the previous year, as reported by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.
Hegseth’s comments came shortly after Vice-President JD Vance emphasized the need for “righteous anger” following the tragic murder of Henry Nowak, attributing part of the blame to the perceived mass influx of migrants. These statements prompted a swift response from Downing Street, condemning any attempts to sow division in the wake of Mr. Nowak’s death.
The tragic incident involved the 18-year-old student being handcuffed by police officers while succumbing to his injuries, with his assailant, Vickrum Digwa, alleging a racist attack. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Digwa’s British nationality.
Downing Street reiterated a unified stance against the notion of two-tier policing across the UK, while the US State Department conveyed condolences to the Nowak family and the people of the United Kingdom amid these challenging times.